University  Library 
University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


THE 

LORD'S  STRANGE 
WORK 


THE  RETURN 


JOHN,  THE  REVELATOR 


A  VOICE  OF  WARNING 


THE  APPROACHING  END 


THE  LORD'S  STRANGE  WORK 

THE  RETURN  OF 
JOHN,  THE  REVELATOR 

A  VOICE  OF  WARNING 


THE  APPROACHING  END 


FRANCIS  M.;  DARTER 

AN  ELDER  IN  THE  CHURCiTOp  JESUS  CHRIST 
OF  LATTER  DAY  SAINTS 


LONG  BEACH,  CAL. 
—1917— 


O  b  0^1 


PREFACE 

By  way  of  introduction  to  the  reader,  that  he  may  more 
fully  grasp  the  contents  of  this  little  volume  and  appreciate 
the  underlying  principle  that  has  prompted  its  presentation, 
as  the  author,  I  wish  to  make  the  following  remarks: 

From  childhood  days  my  most  pleasant  moments  have 
been  spent  in  contemplation  of  the  interpretation  of  the 
Holy  Records  and  future  destiny  of  man,  and  although 
raised  in  the  Christian  Church,  I  did  not  hesitate  to  accept 
the  Restored  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  as  brought  forth  thru 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith. 

After  ten  years  of  searching  out  the  glorious  principles 
revealed  thru  this  prophet,  and  the  associated  pleasure  of 
teaching  and  laboring  in  the  Church,  I  became  interested 
in  the  redemption  of  Zion  and  Final  Gathering  of  Israel. 

It  was  in  the  year  1914,  while  laboring  in  Long  Beach, 
California,  in  the  capacity  of  Theological  Teacher  that  I 
met  my  first  opposition  in  presenting  the  closing  scenes 
pertaining  to  the  final  gathering  of  our  people  when  Zion 
of  Missouri  is  redeemed. 

This  opposition  unfortunately  came  from  the  leading 
Brethren  of  the  Church. 

Being  a  lover  'of  harmony  and  peace  within  the  Church, 
I  made,  in  due  time,  the  offer  to  confine  my  thoughts  along 
these  lines  to  book  form.  The  booklet  "The  Return  of 
John  the  Revelator — the  Elias  and  Forerunner  of  Jesus 
Christ's  Second  Coming  to  Restore  All  Things  and  Gather 
Israel"  was  the  result. 

On  account  of  its  publication  becoming  exhausted  and 
the  increasing  activity  of  thought  along  these  lines  among 
the  Brethren  and  Saints,  and  being  unable  to  answer  separ- 
ately their  correspondence  and  the  many  inquiries  from 


members  of  the  Church,  the  present  volume  has  been  pre- 
pared to  take  its  place,  and  is  dedicated  to  those  who  love 
to  contemplate  the  great  future  plans  and  closing  events 
of  this  dispensation. 

A  good  portion  of  these  great  subjects  has  been  treated 
and  many  beautiful  quotations  given,  for  in  them  lies  the 
only  answer  to  the  controversy.  The  Writer  fully  appreciates 
that  this  little  volume  will  be  received  by  some  as  a  blessing, 
while  others  will  contest  it.  Therefore,  he  has  verified  each 
statement  from  many  angles,  for  he  realizes  the  responsi- 
bility connected  with  portraying  the  works  and  plans  of 
God,  and  additional  references  are  cited  for  the  benefit  of 
those  who  disagree,  in  an  endeavor  to  convince  them. 

To  those  who  question  the  doctrine  as  presented,  the 
author  has  but  one  request  to  make,  namely,  that  they 
check  it  against  the  law  and  testimony  as  found  in  our  Holy 
Writ. 

Many  unpleasant  things  have  been  referred  to,  not  from 
choice  but  because  of  inward  fear  of  judgment  if  the 
writer  failed  to  raise  his  voice  in  warning  of  the  things  that 
God  has  made  plain  unto  him. 

Those  who  find  truth  and  comfort  in  the  following  pages 
and  seek  to  place  a  copy  within  the  reach  of  others,  will  no 
doubt  enjoy  the  blessings  as  promised  by  the  Lord,  who 
said: 

"Blessed  are  they  who  shall  seek  to  bring  forth  my  Zion 
at  that  day,  for  they  shall  have  the  gift  and  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  if  they  endure  unto  the  end,  they  shall 
be  lifted  up  at  the  last  day,  and  shall  be  saved  in  the  ever- 
lasting Kingdom  of  the  Lamb."  (I  Nephi  14:37.) 

The  disposition  of  the  writer  to  drive  his  thoughts  home 
straight  from  the  shoulder,  without  asking  permission  or 
forgiveness,  when  he  knows  that  he  is  right,  may  cause 
some  who  are  not  acquainted  with  him  to  draw  the  wrong 
conclusion;  hence,  it  may  be  well  to  state  that  his  sole  pur- 
pose in  this  book  is  to  teach  the  Gospel  and  warn  the 
law-breaker  without  the  thought  of  fear.  Those  (if  there 


be  any)    who  undertake  to   or  make   it  appear   otherwise, 
state  that  which  is  not  true. 

In  presenting  the  future  missions  of  the  various  apostles 
and  prophets  who  are  coming  to  bring  judgment  against  the 
wicked  and  gather  the  righteous  of  Israel  and  Gentiles, 
Chapter  I  has  been  written  to  lead  the  reader's  mind  up 
to  the  question  as  to  the  whys  and  wherefores  of  their 
mission. 

The  book,  as  a  whole,  is  intended  to  assist  in  opening  the 
eyes  of  all  branches  of  Israel  in  seeing  the  mighty  approach- 
ing judgments  and  plans  of  God. 

The  writer  appreciates  that  many  will  not  concur  or  have 
any  faith  in  the  fulfillment  of  the  great  events  referred  to, 
but  as  time  rolls  by  and  these  prophets  take  up  their 
respective  missions  among  men,  if  the  previous  reading  of 
these  events,  as  presented  in  this  book,  assists  the  reader  to 
contemplate  and  appreciate  that  these  prophets  are  ful- 
filling the  works  of  God,  then  the  purpose  of  the  book  and 
the  efforts  put  forth  in  compiling  it  will  have  accomplished 
their  purpose. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


Quotations  taken  from  the  Bible,  the  Book  of  Mormon; 
the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  (Revelations  given  thru  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith) ;  " Joseph  Smith's  Teachings,"  also  as 
quoted  in  "Compendium;"  Pearl  of  Great  Price  (Writings  of 
Abraham  as  found  in  Egypt) ;  and  from  history. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    STATUS   OF   THE   GOSPEL 
OF  JESUS  CHRIST 

The  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  has  thruout  the  past  ages 
proved  itself  to  be  man's  only  salvation.  Though  many  have 
ignored  it  and  have  temporarily  enjoyed  worldly  pleasures 
at  the  cost  of  breaking  divine  laws,  yet  they  pass  away,  as 
the  flower  of  the  field,  and  soon  find  themselves  in  the  valley 
of  death  and  at  the  judgment  bar  of  God;  hence,  it  is  only 
those  who  have  lived  and  obeyed  the  law  of  the  great  law- 
giver who  are  able  to  declare  this  life  a  success,  and  who 
are  ready,  when  it  is  completed,  to  enter  a  higher  degree 
of  glory. 

It  sufficient  to  read  the  Holy  Records  but  once  to  con- 
clude that  God  is  just  and  patient,  and  that  He  has  striven, 
in  many  ways,  thruout  the  ages,  to  develop  and  sanctify  the 
minds  of  men. 

Thru  the  fall  of  Adam,  men  became  spiritually  dead — that 
is,  they  were  cut  off  from  the  presence  of  God,  (Hela. 
14:14-19);  but  this  condition  was  essential  if  children  were 
to  be  born  and  made  subject  to  temptation  and  trials  in 
order  that,  in  the  end,  they  might  better  enjoy  and  appre- 
ciate greater  things,  (P.  of  G.  P.  Moses  5:6-12);  hence, 
"Adam  fell  that  men  might  be;  and  men  are,  that  they  might 
have  joy."  II  Nephi  2:21-27.  (Mor.  9:12-14.) 

A  way  of  deliverance  from  the  fall  and  re-entrance  into 
the  presence  of  God  was  likewise  planned  and  foreordained 
by  a  council  in  heaven  before  the  earth  was  formed  for  man. 
(I  Peter  1:18-21.)  This  deliverance  was  to  be  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ  on  Calvary,  connected  with  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  and  obedience  to  the  principles  of  repentance 
and  baptism  by  immersion,  with  the  laying  on  of  hands  by 
those  who  hold  divine  Priesthood  authority  for  the  receiving 


of  the  Holy  Ghost.  (Rom.  5:12-19,  John  3:5,  I  Peter  3:18- 
21,  Mos.  3:8-19,  II  Nephi  2:3-10.)  Thru  obedience  to  these 
ordinances  of  the  Gospel  men  are  spiritually  begotten,  and 
they  become  sons  and  daughters  of  God  and  heirs  of  eternal 
life. 

These  grand  and  holy  blessings  have  been  offered  to  all 
races,  but  we  are  told  that  if  the  individual  wilfully  ignores 
or  betrays  his  redemption,  he  will  be  cut  off  again  at  the  bar 
of  judgment  and  will  suffer  the  second  spiritual  death,  being 
cast  out  forever  from  the  presence  of  God  with  no  promise 
of  redemption.  (D.  C.  29  :34-50,  Heb.  6:4-6,  10:26-27.)  The 
Lord's  verdict  to  him,  in  that  day,  will  be  "Depart  from  me, 
ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and 
his  angels."  Mat.  25:41-46. 

The  tribes  of  Israel,  thruout  the  past  ages,  have  been  con- 
sidered the  lawful  heirs  of  salvation  and  the  recipients  of 
special  favor  from  the  Almighty.  The  reason  for  this  lies 
in  their  faith  and  works  being  above  those  of  the  Gentiles. 
But  the  fulfillment  of  the  Law  of  Moses,  (III  Nephi  15:1-8), 
and  the  setting  up  of  the  Gospel  and  law  of  Christ  have 
unquestionably  placed  the  human  family  on  a  par,  for  we 
read: 

"That  the  blessing  of  Abraham  might  come  on  the  Gentiles 
through  Jesus  Christ;  that  we  might  receive  the  promise  of 
the  spirit  through  faith.  For  ye  are  all  the  children  of  God 
by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  For  as  many  of  you  as  have  been 
baptized  into  Christ  have  put  on  Christ.  There  is  neither 
Jew  nor  Greek,  there  is  neither  bond  nor  free,  there  is 
neither  male  nor  female;  for  ye  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus. 
And  if  ye  be  Christ's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed,  and  heirs 
according  to  the  promise."  Gal.  3:14,  26-29.  "And  now, 
because  of  the  covenant  which  ye  have  made,  ye  shall  be 
called  the  children  of  Christ,  his  sons,  and  his  daughters; 
for  behold,  this  day  he  hath  spiritually  begotten  you;  for 
ye  say  that  your  hearts  are  changed  through  faith  on  his 
name;  therefore,  ye  are  born  of  him,  and  have  become  his 
sons  and  his  daughters."  Mos.  5  :7-10.  (27  :24-26.) 

The  adoption  of  all  races  into  the  one  common  family  of 
Israel  is  a  part  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  and  is  designed 


to  unite  all  men.  From  the  teachings  of  Joseph  Smith  we 
learn  that  when  an  Israelite  receives  the  Holy  Ghost  he 
receives  pure  intelligence  from  heaven,  his  mind  and  under- 
standing are  broadened;  but  when  a  pure  Gentile  receives 
the  Holy  Ghost,  which  comes  thru  the  laying  on  of  hands  of 
the  Melchisedek  Priesthood  and  which  follows  faith,  repent- 
ance and  baptism,  it  purges  out  the  old  blood  and  makes  him 
actually  of  the  seed  of  Abraham;  that  man  who  has  none  of 
the  natural  blood  of  Abraham  must  have  a  new  creation  by 
the  Holy  Ghost.  (C.  H.  Vol.  3:  p.  380,  J.  S.  T.,  pages  21-22. 
D.  C.  84:31-34.) 

Paul  informs  us  that  the  natural  blood  of  Israel  alone  will 
not  save  the  individual.  He  says: 

"Not  as  though  the  word  of  God  has  taken  none  effect. 
For  they  are  not  all  Israel,  which  are  of  Israel:  neither, 
because  they  are  the  seed  of  Abraham,  are  they  all  children; 
but,  in  Isaac  shall  thy  seed  be  called.  That  is,  they  which 
are  the  children  of  the  flesh,  these  are  not  the  children  of 
God;  but  the  children  of  the  promise  are  counted  for  the 
seed."  Rom.  9:6-8.  (D.  C.  103:15-18.) 

From  these  scriptures  it  is  readily  seen  that  God  has  placed 
the  believing  Gentiles  on  the  same  level  as  that  of  the 
believing  Jews,  and  -that  both  branches  of  the  human  family 
become  equally  of  Israel  at  the  time  they  accept  and  obey 
the  ordinances  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  not  before. 
(II  Nephi  30:2.)  The  term  "Israel,"  in  its  original  sense, 
means  a  soldier  of  God  or  a  prince  of  God,  this  being  the 
name  the  Lord  gave  unto  Jacob  after  Jacob  has  wrestled 
with  Him  and  would  not  let  Him  go  until  he  had  been  granted 
a  blessing.  (Gen.  32 :24-30.  35:1.) 

It  appears  to  many  that  in  ages  past  God  has  been  partial 
to  the  tribes  of  Israel  for  the  reason  that  He  gave  them  a 
promised  land;  but  the  greater  portion  of  the  world  has  yet 
to  learn  that  He  has  offered  the  Gentiles  an  equal  gift. 
According  to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  America  has  been  dedi- 
cated by  the  Lord  to  the  believing  members  of  the  Gentiles. 
(II  Nephi  10:9-19.)  This  gift,  however,  is  not  to  be  enjoyed 
by  the  Gentiles  alone,  but  to  be  equally  enjoyed  with  the 
House  of  Joseph,  thru  Ephraim;  we  quote: 


"Hearken,  0  ye  Gentiles,  and  hear  the  words  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  son  of  the  living  God,  which  he  hath  commanded 
me  that  I  should  speak  concerning  you,  .  .  .  saying, 
Turn,  all  ye  Gentiles  from  your  wicked  ways,  and  repent  of 
your  evil  doings,  of  your  lyings  and  deceivings,  and  of  your 
whoredoms,  and  of  your  secret  abominations,  and  your  idol- 
atries, and  of  your  murders,  and  your  priestcrafts,  and  your 
envyings,  and  your  strifes,  and  from  all  your  wickedness 
and  abominations,  and  come  unto  me,  and  be  baptized  in 
my  name,  that  ye  may  receive  a  remission  of  your  sins,  and 
be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  ye  may  be  numbered  with 
my  people,  who  are  of  the  house  of  Israel."  Ill  Nephi  30:1-2. 
"If  they"  (the  Gentiles)  "will  repent,  and  hearken  unto  my 
words,  and  harden  not  their  hearts,  I  will  establish  my  church 
among  them,  and  they  shall  come  in  unto  the  covenant,  and 
be  numbered  among  this  the  remnant  of  Jacob,  unto  whom 
I  have  given  this  land  for  their  inheritance."  Ill  Nephi 
21 :22.  (Ill  Nephi  21  :l-6.  D.  C.  52 :2,  Foot  Notes  a  and  b.) 

In  ages  past  God  saw  fit  to  labor  among  the  tribes  of 
Israel  for  the  reason  that  He  found  faith  among  them;  but 
by  the  time  the  fullness  of  the  Gospel  was  sent  unto  them, 
they  had  become  corrupt  and  they  rejected  it;  hence  He 
called  Paul  and  ordained  him  to  be  a  special  apostle  unto 
the  Gentiles,  (see  pages  102-5  herein),  and  with  the  assist- 
ance of  the  Twelve  he  carried  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles. 
(Rom.  11:1-26.  Ill  Nephi  16:7.  Acts  13:42-52.  11:1-18.) 

These  blessings  were  enjoyed  by  the  latter  people  for  a 
short  time  only.  Authentic  history  informs  us  that  the  orig- 
inal church  organization  and  ordinances  were  completely 
changed  within  the  first  five  centuries;  that  corruption  found 
its  way  in  among  the  Priesthood  as  well  as  the  laymen,  and 
by  the  tenth  century  wickedness  and  the  forming  of  new 
ordinances  had  become  so  appalling  that  no  portion  of  the 
original  church  organization  and  doctrine  could  be  found 
upon  the  earth.  By  the  sixteenth  century  the  corruption 
had  become  so  great  that  a  man  could  publicly  buy  from  the 
priesthood,  with  money,  his  deliverance  from  divine  punish- 
ment beyond  the  grave.  (Outlines' of  Ecclesiastical  History 

10 


— B.  H.  Roberts — the  Apostasy.)  Hence,  the  spirit  of  the 
Lord  was  withdrawn  and  the  dark  ages  were  the  natural 
sequence. 

The  changing  of  the  ordinances  and  principles  of  the  Gos- 
pel, the  loss  of  Priesthood  rights,  and  the  overcoming  of  the 
Saints  thru  persecution,  as  foreseen  in  visions  and  foretold 
in  prophecy  by  John  the  Revelator  and  others,  are  such  well 
known  facts  that  the  writer  need  not  enlarge  upon  them. 
(Rev.  Chapters  13  and  17,  Dan.  7th  Chap.) 

Not  only  was  the  Gospel  of  Christ  rejected  on  the  Eastern 
continent,  but  also  on  the  Western,  and  these  occurred  about 
the  same  time.  It  was  in  the  year  600  B.  C.  that  the  Lord 
led  (by  the  hand  of  the  Prophet  Lehi)  several  righteous 
families  of  the  tribe  of  Joseph,  thru  Ephraim,  to  America. 
From  their  records  we  gather  that  they  had  a  continual  line 
of  prophets  up  to  the  time  when  Christ  came  and  labored 
among  them  in  the  year  A.  D.  34,  this  being  soon  after  His 
ascension  at  Jerusalem.  Before  leaving  His  apostles  at 
Jerusalem.  He  said,  "And  other  sheep  I  have,  which  are 
not  of  this  fold;  them  also  I  must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear 
my  voice;  and  there  shall  be  one  fold,  and  one  shepherd." 
John  10:16. 

It  was  this  Remnant  of  the  House  of  Joseph,  sometimes 
called  the  Remnant  of  Jacob,  to  whom  He  referred,  for  we 
find  in  His  teachings  to  these  people  the  following,  in  part: 

"Ye  are  my  disciples;  and  ye  are  a  light  unto  this  people, 
who  are  a  remnant  of  the  house  of  Joseph.  And  behold, 
this  is  the  land  of  your  inheritance;  and  the  Father  hath 
given  it  unto  you.  And  not  at  any  time  hath  the  Father 
given  me  commandment  that  I  should  tell  it  unto  your 
brethren  at  Jerusalem.  Neither  at  any  time  hath  the  Father 
given  me  commandment,  that  I  should  tell  unto  them  con- 
cerning the  *  other  tribes  of  the  House  of  Israel,  whom  the 
Father  hath  led  away  out  of  the  land.  This  much  did  the 
Father  command  me,  that  I  should  tell  unto  them. .  'That 
other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold;  them  also  I 
must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice,  and  there  shall 
be  one  fold,  and  one  shepherd/  And  now  because  of  stiff- 

*The  Ten. 

11 


neckedness  and  unbelief,  they  understood  not  my  word; 
therefore  I  was  commanded  to  say  no  more  of  the  Father 
concerning  this  thing  unto  them.  But,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  that  the  Father  hath  commanded  me,  and  I  tell  it  unto 
you,  that  ye  were  separated  from  among  them  because  of 
their  iniquity;  .  .  .  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  ye 
are  they  of  whom  I  said,  'other  sheep  I  have  which  are  not 
of  this  fold/  "  III  Nephi  15:12-21. 

After  imparting  the  principles  of  the  Gospel  and  organ- 
izing His  church  among  these  people  here  in  America,  He 
departed  and  went  to  visit  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes.  (See  pages 
160 herein.)  From  the  record  of  the  Nephites  (the  Book 
of  Mormon),  we  are  informed  that  the  American  branch  of 
the  House  of  Israel  lived  the  Gospel  for  200  years,  then 
they  drifted  into  worldliness,  and  from  that  day  the  judg- 
ments of  God  began  to  fall  upon  them.  (IV  Nephi  1:1-49.) 

By  the  close  of  the  year  A.  D.  420  the  Church  and  Saints 
had  all  been  destroyed  by  their  wicked  brethren,  the  Laman- 
ites.  (Moroni  1:1-3.  10:1-2.)  As  a  judgment  against  the 
Lamanites  for  their  acts  of  murder  they  were  cursed  in 
many  ways,  including  a  dark  skin.  (Mormon  5:1-20.)  This 
was  the  condition  in  which  the  Gentiles  found  them. 

According  to  Holy  Writ,  God  foresaw  that  the  main  body 
of  Israel,  which  He  has  symbolized  as  the  tame  olive  tree, 
was  becoming  corrupt  and  would  decay;  hence  He  found  it 
essential  to  transplant  a  portion  of  its  tender  branches  for 
the  sake  of  preserving  righteousness  in  the  House  of  Israel. 
Their  location,  however,  has  been  withheld  from  us  with  the 
exception  of  the  American  Indian  (North  and  South)  and 
that  of  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  which  are  hidden  away  in  the 
north.  (Jacob  5:1-77.)  These  branches  of  Israel  brought 
forth  Gospel  fruit  in  their  day,  but,  as  with  the  trunk  of 
the  tree,  they  likewise  became  corrupt  and  have  suffered 
judgments  similar  to  those  of  Juda.  Paul  informs  us  that 
it  was  the  unbelief  of  Israel,  in  his  day,  that  prompted  the 
Lord  to  turn  against  them  and  graft  in  the  believing  mem- 
bers of  the  Gentiles,  who,  are  symbolized  as  the  branches  of 
the  wild  olive  tree  grafted  into  the  tame  olive  tree  (the 
House  of  Israel)  with  the  hope  of  preserving  the  Gospel  tree 

12 


of  life  on  earth.  (Rom.  11:1-24.  I  Nephi  15:12-17.)  But 
thru  prophecy  and  history  we  are  informed  that  the  true 
and  noble  Gentile  Saints  were  completely  overcome  by 
death,  persecution  and  banishment;  and  that  the  remainder, 
thru  spiritual  weakness,  suffered  men  to  completely  change 
their  form  of  worship,  doctrine  and  creed,  as  previously 
referred  to. 

As  to  the  future  course  of  the  natural  branches  of  Israel, 
after  passing  thru  these  judgments  for  not  living  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Gospel  in  previous  years,  with  possibly  the 
exception  of  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes,  they  are  to  remain  in  their 
blinded  condition,  as  to  seeing  the  Gospel  of  Christ  until  the 
Fullness  of  the  Gentiles  comes  in.  At  that  day,  (the  Full- 
ness of  the  Gentiles),  which  is  at  our  very  doors,  the  Gospel 
is  to  be  carried  back  to  Israel  in  its  brilliancy  and  power, 
(D.C.  45:24-30.  90:9-11.  77:15.  I  Nephi  10:11-14);  then 
will  the  Lord  fulfil  all  His  covenants  with  the  whole'  of 
Israel  in  redeeming  His  people  and  restoring  their  lands  of 
inheritance. 

We  now  leave  their  history  and  again  turn  our  thoughts 
back  to  the  dark  ages  among  the  Gentiles  of  the  old  world. 
In  turning  the  pages  of  this  history  we  observe  that,  as  the 
Latter  Days  approached,  spiritual  light  began  to  dawn  on  the 
minds  of  men;  many  of  them  saw  the  folly  of  their  man- 
made  ordinances,  and  from  that  day  onward,  they  sought  to 
throw  off  the  yoke  of  the  darkness  and  place  themselves 
right  with  God. 

In  due  time,  after  the  battle  of  freedom  of  thought  and 
speech  had  been  gained  in  the  East  and  the  establishment 
of  a  land  of  liberty  in  the  West,  God  sent  a  prophet  mighty 
in  spirit  and  doctrine,  but  humble  in  his  ways.  This  was 
the  boy  Joseph  Smith,  to  whom  the  Father  and  Son  appeared 
in  person  calling  him  to  be  the  prophet  to  lay  the  foundation 
of  this  great  Latter  Day  work  of  redeeming  mankind.  A 
glorious  conversation  between  God  and  man  issued.  This 
took  place  in  the  spring  of  1820;  and  on  September  21st, 
1823,  the  Angel  Moroni,  formerly  the  last  prophet  of  the 
Western  continent,  who  had  buried  the  records  of  the  House 
of  Joseph  in  A.  D.  420,  came  to  Joseph  Smith  and  revealed 

13 


their  hiding  place. 

The  schooling  of  the  fifteen-year-old  boy  Joseph  as  to  the 
manner  in  which  this  record  should  be  brought  forth,  and 
the  explanation  of  many  latter  day  prophecies,  were  likewise 
a  portion  of  the  mission  of  the  Angel  Moroni. 

Thru  the  gift  and  power  of  God,  this  Holy  Record  was 
translated  by  Joseph  Smith,  and  is  now  known  as  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  It  contains  more  than  1000  years'  religious 
history  of  the  Nephites  and  Lamanites,  as  well  as  the  Ever- 
lasting Gospel  of  Christ.  It  is  referred  to  in  the  prophecies 
of  Ezekiel  as  the  stick  (record)  of  Ephraim,  (37:16-19), 
for  it  was  the  descendants  of  Ephraim,  the  son  of  Joseph, 
who  came  to  America  in  600  B.  C. 

The  coming  of  the  Angel  Moroni  to  deliver  the  Everlast- 
ing Gospel  (the  Book  of  Mormon)  was  the  fulfillment  of 
that  portion  of  John's  vision  pertaining  to  latter  day  events. 
He  records: 

"And  I  saw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven, 
having  the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell 
on  the  earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue 
and  people."  Rev.  14:6. 

In  his  continuation  of  the  same  chapter,  he  informs  us 
that  the  fall  of  spiritual  Babylon  would  soon  follow,  and 
then  would  take  place  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  This 
prophecy,  or  vision,  clearly  sets  forth  the  restoration  of  the 
Gospel  before  the  coming  of  Christ.  (Dan.  2:40-45.) 

After  Moroni  had  delivered  the  plates  of  the  Book  01 
Mormon,  came  John  the  Baptist  on  the  15th  of  May,  1829 
(D.  C.  13  section)  to  restore  the  Aaronic  Priesthood;  this 
was  followed  by  the  coming  of  Peter,  James  and  John  to 
restore  the  Melchisedek  Priesthood.  (D.  C.  27:12-13.)  Then 
came  Elijah,  Elias  and  Moses  to  the  Kirtland  temple  on 
April  3rd,  1836,  to  restore  the  ordinances  for  the  dead  as 
well  as  their  keys  of  knowledge  and  authority  to  preach  the 
Gospel  and  gather  the  righteous.  This,  in  brief,  is  an  outline 
of  the  restoration  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Gentiles. 

In  due  time  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  L.  D.  S.  was 
organized — April  6th,  1830.  Thus  began  the  great  work 
of  God  among  the  Gentiles  of  the  Latter  Days  in  preparing 

14 


them  for  their  inheritance  in  the  Kingdom  of  God.  soon  to 
be  set  up  in  its  fullness.  (See  Kingdom  herein.) 

This  restored  Gospel  has  spread  over  the  earth  until  it 
has  gathered  hundreds  of  thousands  of  God's  noble  sons  and 
daughters  from  various  nations  to  the  stakes  of  Zion  in 
America,  and  they  in  turn  have  warned  the  nations  to  flee 
to  Zion  and  prepare  themselves  for  the  great  day  of  the 
Lord.  Thus  have  they  fulfilled  the  call  of  the  Gospel  and 
the  commandment  of  the  Lord  as  given  thru  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith.  (D.  C.  133:1-17.) 

Thru  the  blessings  of  this  same  Gospel  a  desert  has  been 
turned  into  a  field  of  grain,  and  converted  into  the  third 
home  for  that  portion  of  our  people  who  were  driven  from 
place  to  place  in  years  gone  by,  and  finally  forced  into  this 
once  cold,  desolate  desert.  It  has  raised  their  dead  back 
to  normal  life;  it  has  healed  thousands  of  their  sick  and 
afflicted.  It  is  the  only  divine  authorized  church  upon  the 
earth  today,  although  there  are  many  good  principles  and 
doctrines  in  all  churches,  as  well  as  honest  souls.  But  as 
God  is  not  divided,  neither  is  He  the  author  of  the  division 
of  churches  whose  ordinances  and  principles  are  opposed  to 
each  other. 

The  question  may  here  be  asked,  if  the  mother  church  of 
the  dark  ages  had  previously  lost  her  priesthood  authority, 
then  where  do  the  churches,  which  broke  away  from  her, 
obtain  their  divine  priesthood  rights,  which  is  one  of  the 
absolute  essentials  for  a  church  to  possess  if  claim  is  made 
that  it  is  the  Church  of  Christ?  Then  again,  if  she  did  not 
lose  her  priesthood  authority,  there  could  be  no  lawful 
division. 

The  sum  and  substance  of  the  whole  matter  is  that  both 
branches  are  in  the  same  condition  as  far  as  priesthood  rights 
are  concerned.  Hence,  it  was  essential  for  a  restoration,  in 
this  day  and  age,  of  the  true  ordinances  and  principles  of  the 
Gospel  with  Priesthood  authority.  (Rev.  13:5-8.) 

The  greater  portion  of  these  ordinances  has,  at  the  present 
time,  been  restored  and  the  blessings  enjoyed  by  many,  who 
are  assured  that  they  are  numbered  with  Israel. 

The  thought  of  being  a  part  of  Israel  has  influenced  many 

15 


of  our  people  to  conclude  that  the  Gospel  is  today  with  the 
natural  blood  of  Israel  and  not  with  the  Gentiles.  It  is  true 
that  many  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  have  a  portion  of  the 
blood  of  Ephraim  in  their  veins,  and  that  many  of  their 
patriarchal  blessings  read  "thou  art  of  Ephraim,"  however, 
this  does  not  signify  that  the  individual  has  by  birth 
Ephraim's  blood,  but,  as  previously  set  forth,  a  pure  Gentile 
becomes  of  Israel  by  adoption  when  he  accepts  the  Gospel 
ordinances  and  receives  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  is  when  his 
blood  is  actually  changed  to  that  of  Israel;  and  by  inher- 
itance, thru  the  gift  of  God,  he  is  numbered  with  Ephraim; 
therefore  he  is  of  Ephraim,  but  the  Gospel  found  him  as  a 
Gentile,  hence  it  is  with  the  Gentiles  today.  The  following 
scriptures  are  cited  to  show  that  the  Gospel  is  today  in  the 
hands  of  the  Gentiles. 

The  Prophet  Mormon  informs  us  that  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon would  "come  forth  in  due  time  by  the  way  of  Gentiles." 
(Title  page,  Book  of  Mormon.)  The  Prophet  Nephi  speaks 
of  the  Gospel  coming  to  the  Gentiles  in  the  Latter  Days.  He 
says:  "Then  shall  the  fullness  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Messiah 
come  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  from  the  Gentiles  unto  the  rem- 
nant of  our  seed."  I  Nephi  15:13.  Joseph  Smith,  in  his 
dedicatory  prayer,  at  the  Kirtland  temple,  said: 

"Now  these  words,  O  Lord,  we  have  spoken  before  thee, 
concerning  the  revelations  and  commandments  which  thou 
hast  given  unto  us,  who  are  identified  with  the  Gentiles." 
D.  C.  109:60. 

We  also  find  the  same  thought  contained  in  his  instruc- 
tions to  the  Twelve,  as  follows: 

"They  are  the  Twelve  Apostles  who  are  called  to  the  office 
of  the  Traveling  High  Council,  who  are  to  preside  over  the 
churches  of  the  Saints  among  the  Gentiles,  where  there  is 
a  presidency  established,  and  they  are  to  travel  and  preach 
among  the  Gentiles  until  the  Lord  shall  command  them  to  go 
to  the  Jews."  C.  H.,  Vol.  2,  page  200.  This  latter  command- 
ment has  not  been  received  up  to  the  present  date.  From 
the  Jews  it  will  go  to  the  House  of  Joseph,  or  Ephraim.  The 
revelation  says: 

"That   thru    your    administration    they   may   receive    the 

16 


word,  .  .  .  unto  the  Gentiles  first,  and  then,  behold, 
and  lo,  they  shall  turn  unto  the  Jews;  and  then  cometh  the 
day  when  the  arm  of  the  Lord  shall  be  revealed  in  power  in 
convincing  the  nations,  the  heathen  nations,  the  house  of 
Joseph,  of  the  Gospel  of  their  salvation."  D.  C.  90:9-10. 

There  are  abundant  scripture  quotations  informing  us  that 
the  Gospel  went  from  the  Jews  to  the  Gentiles  in  former 
days;  and  that  it  was  to  come  to  the  Gentiles  and  then  to 
the  Jews  and  House  of  Joseph  in  the  Latter  Days.  (I  Nephi 
15:13.  Ill  Nephi  16:4-5.  Jacob  5:61-64,  II  Nephi  30:2-10, 
D.  C.  14:10.  19:27.  133:8-13.  Title  page,  Book  of  Mor- 
mon.) In  other  words,  "the  last  shall  be  first,  and  the  first 
shall  be  last."  I  Nephi  13:42. 

It  is  true  that  a  few  of  the  American  Indians,  who  by 
birth,  are  of  Ephraim,  as  well  as  some  of  the  Jews,  have  at 
the  present  time  accepted  the  Restored  Gospel;  but  the 
prophecies  which  relate  to  the  Gospel  going  from  one  branch 
to  the  other,  refer  to  periods  of  time  when  it  shall  be  pre- 
sented in  a  scale  of  magnitude  and  power  to  each  branch 
as  a  whole:  For  example,  take  Ephraim  of  America;  we 
read  that  they  are  to  build  the  New  Jerusalem  in  this 
country  with  the  believing  Gentiles  assisting,  and  that  their 
children,  at  that  day,  are  to  outnumber  those  of  the  Believ- 
ing Gentiles.  (Ill  Nephi  21:22-29.  22:1-3,  note  footnotes 
2k,  2L,  aandC.  D.  C.  77:15.) 

It  was  the  previous  faith  and  works  of  the  House  of 
Israel  which  prompted  God  to  send  the  Christ  with  the  full- 
ness of  the  Gospel  to  them  in  the  meridian  of  time;  but  it 
was  their  unbelief  in  rejecting  it  that  forced  Him  to  turn 
judgment  against  them,  and  to  bring  it  to  the  Gentiles.  As 
to  this  judgment,  in  Jerusalem  alone,  Josephus  informs  us, 
that  over  a  million  perished  by  famine,  thousands  were  cut 
to  pieces  and  nearly  a  hundred  thousand  were  taken  captive 
by  the  Romans,  and  carried  away  into  slavery.  (Bk.  VI, 
ch.  IX.) 

In  the  Latter  Days,  according  to  prophecy,  the  same  con- 
ditions, but  reversed,  are  to  exist.  We  quote: 

"And  blessed  are  the  Gentiles,  because  of  their  belief  in 
me,  in  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  witness  unto  them,  of 
me  and  of  the  Father.  Behold,  because  of  their  belief  in 

17 


me,"  (in  former  days),  "saith  the  Father,  and  because  of 
the  unbelief  of  you,  O  house  of  Israel,  in  the  latter  day 
shall  the  truth  come  unto  the  Gentiles,  that  the  fullness  of 
these  things  shall  be  made  known  unto  them.  But  woe, 
saith  the  Father,  unto  the  unbelieving  of  the  Gentiles,"  (in 
the  latter  days)  "for  notwithstanding  they  have  come  forth 
upon  the  face  of  this  land,  and  have  scattered  my  people, 
who  are  of  the  house  of  Israel;  and  my  people  who  are  of 
the  house  of  Israel,  have  been  cast  out  from  among  them, 
and  have  been  trodden  under  feet  by  them;  and  because  of 
the  mercies  of  the  Father  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  also  the 
judgments  of  the  Father  upon  my  people,  who  are  of  the 
house  of  Israel,  verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  after 
they  shall  do  all  those  things,  and  shall  reject  the 
fullness  of  my  gospel,  behold,  saith  the  Father,  I  will  bring 
the  fullness  of  my  gospel  from  among  them.  And  then  I 
will  remember  my  covenant  which  I  have  made  unto  my 
people,  O  house  of  Israel,  and  I  will  bring  my  gospel  unto 
them."  Ill  Nephi  16:6-11. 

It  is  now  over  87  years  since  the  restoration  of  the  Gospel 
to  the  Gentiles  thru  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and,  accord- 
ing to  the  scriptures,  the  beginning  of  this  period  of  time  is 
called  the  coming  in  of  the  Times  of  the  Gentiles;  and  the 
end,  the  Fullness  of  the  Gentiles,  (D.  C.  45:24-30.  Rom. 
11:25-26),  but  both  periods  are  to  come  within  the  same 
generation. 

The  coming  forth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith  and  the  establishment  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  among  the  Gentiles  in  1830  was  the  signal  for  the 
beginning;  and  this  great  world's  war  was  given  as  the  sign 
of  the  end.  At  this  latter  period,  we  are  told,  the  Jews 
will  begin  their  homeward  march,  and  God's  coming  prophets 
will  then  restore  the  Fullness  of  the  Gospel  unto  them. 
(D.  C.  77:15.) 

The  signs  of  the  times  strongly  indicate  the  early  fulfill- 
ment of  these  latter  movements.  The  offering  of  the  service 
of  the  British  Empire,  thru  Secretary  Grey,  to  aid  the  Jews 
in  every  way  possible;  the  freedom  of  the  Jews  in  Russia, 
with  the  combined  military  power  of  England  and  the  Allies 
in  driving  the  Turks  from  Palestine,  has  had  wonderful  effect 

18 


with  the  Jewish  race.  Furthermore,  prominent  American 
Jews  are  advocating  a  Jewish  government  in  Palestine,  pat- 
terned after  the  American  constitution.  Thousands  of  Jews 
are  anxiously  waiting  the  opening  up  of  their  country.  Thus 
we  see  the  hand  of  God  paving  the  way  for  the  fulfillment 
of  His  covenants  with  the  tribes  of  Israel. 

The  blindness  of  Israel  in  not  seeing  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 
as  foretold  by  Paul  and  others,  has  indeed  come  true,  and 
Paul  further  informs  us  that  this  condition  would  exist  "until 
the  Fullness  of  the  Gentiles  be  come  in."  (Rom.  11:25.) 

By  the  close  of  this  period,  the  Gentiles,  according  to 
prophecy,  would  have  rejected  this  Gospel,  and  the  answer 
of  judgment  from  heaven  would  be  a  world's  war,  followed 
by  many  scourges  and  plagues.  D.  C.  45:24-33.  5:18-20. 
63:32-37.  87:1-8.  I  Nephi  14:8-17.)  The  world  has  now 
passed  thru  the  third  year  of  the  war  and  the  end  is  not  yet. 
We  quote  one  of  the  prophecies : 

"And  this  I  have  told  you  concerning  Jerusalem,  and  when 
that  day  shall  come,  shall  a  remnant  be  scattered  among  all 
nations;  but  they  shall  be  gathered  again,  but  they  shall 
remain  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled.  And  in 
that  day  shall  be  heard  of  wars  and  rumors  of  wars,  and 
the  whole  earth  shall  be  in  commotion,  and  men's  hearts 
shall  fail  them,  and  they  shall  say  that  Christ  delayeth  his 
coming  until  the  end  of  the  earth.  And  the  love  of  men  shall 
wax  cold,  and  iniquity  shall  abound;  And  when  the  times  of 
the  Gentiles  is  come  in,  a  light  shall  break  forth  among  them 
that  sit  in  darkness,  and  it  shall  be  the  fullness  of  my 
gospel;  But  they  receive  it  not,  for  they  perceive  not  the 
light  and  they  turn  their  hearts  from  me  because  of  the 
precepts  of  men;  And  in  that  generation  shall  the  times  of 
the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled;  And  there  shall  be  men  standing 
in  that  generation,  that  shall  not  pass,  until  they  shall  see 
an  overflowing  scourge;  for  a  desolating  sickness  shall  cover 
the  land;  But  my  disciples  shall  stand  in  holy  places,  and 
shall  not  be  moved;  but  among  the  wicked,  men  shall  lift  up 
their  voices,  and  curse  God  and  die.  And  there  shall  be 
earthquakes  also  in  divers  places,  and  many  desolations;  yet 
men  will  harden  their  hearts  against  me,  and  they  will  take 

19 


up  the  sword,  one  against  another,  and  they  will  kill  one 
another."  D.  C.  45:24-33. 

The  above  prophecy  is  one  of  the  many  informing  us  of 
the  rejection  of  the  Gospel  by  the  Gentiles.  As  to  the 
moral  condition  of  the  Gentile  nations  of  the  Latter  Days, 
the  Prophet  Nephi  has  said: 

"But,  behold,  in  the  last  days,  or  in  the  days  of  the 
Gentiles;  yea,  behold  all  the  nations  of  the  Gentiles,  and 
also  the  Jews,  both  those  who  shall  come  upon  this  land,  and 
those  who  shall  be  upon  other  lands;  yea,  even  upon  all  the 
lands  of  the  earth;  behold,  they  will  be  drunken  with  iniquity, 
and  all  manner  of  abominations;  and  when  that  day  shall 
come,  they  shall  be  visited  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  with  thun- 
der, and  with  earthquake,  and  with  a  great  noise,  and  with 
storm,  and  with  tempest,  and  with  the  flame  of  devouring 
fire;  and  all  the  nations  that  fight  against  Zion,  and  that 
distress  her,  shall  be  as  a  dream  of  a  night  vision ;  yea,  .  . 

.  even  so  shall  the  multitude  of  all  the  nations  be  that 
fight  against  Mount  Zion."  II  Nephi  27:1-3. 

We  are  also  told,  in  Holy  Writ,  that  it  was  the  guiding 
hand  of  God  that  brought  forth  the  liberty,  freedom  and 
protection  that  we,  as  a  nation,  have  enjoyed  in  the  past; 
and  that  today  He  has  restored  the  Fullness  of  the  Gospel 
among  us,  but,  if  we  reject  it,  that  He  would  turn  our 
iniquities  upon  our  own  heads  unto  destruction.  (Ill  Nephi 
21:1-21,  I  Nephi  13:24-42.  14:1-7.  II  Nephi  10:5-19.) 

For  further  evidence,  as  to  the  Gentiles  rejecting  the  Gos- 
pel, one  only  need  review  the  past  87  years  of  church  history, 
and  he  will  find  the  complete  fulfillment.  Not  only  have  the 
Gentiles  of  this  country  rejected  it,  but  those  of  the  world. 
They  have  laughed  it  to  scorn  and  have  driven  and  perse- 
cuted the  Saints  from  place  to  place.  Hence  we  may  readily 
anticipate  the  carrying  of  the  Gospel  to  the  natural  branches 
of  the  House  of  Israel.  Then  will  it  shine  forth  in  its  bril- 
liancy and  mighty  power  thru  the  leadership  of  the  Lord's 
prophets  who  are  coming  to  fill  a  special  mission  in  redeem- 
ing the  honest  in  heart  of  Israel  and  Gentiles.  The  record 
says: 

"What  is  to  be  understood  by  the  two  witnesses,  in  the 

20 


eleventh  chapter  of  Revelations?  They  are  two  prophets 
that  are  to  be  raised  up  to  the  Jewish  nation  in  the  last  days, 
at  the  time  of  the  restoration,  and  to  prophecy  to  the  Jews, 
after  they  are  gathered,  and  build  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  in 
the  land  of  their  fathers."  D.  C.  77:15.  "Behold,  I  am 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  who  created  the 
heavens  and  the  earth;  a  light  which  cannot  be  hid  in  dark- 
ness; wherefore,  I  must  bring  forth  the  fullness  of  my 
gospel  from  the  Gentiles  unto  the  house  of  Israel."  D.  C. 
14:9-10. 

The  Apostle  Orson  Pratt  has  placed  a  footnote  under  the 
last  quotation,  as  follows: 

"The  light  shining  among  the  Gentiles  is  hid  in  darkness, 
but  when  it  goes  to  Israel,  it  will  be  seen  in  its  brilliancy." 

The  presenting  of  the  Gospel  to  each  branch  of  the 
House  of  Israel  thru  special  prophets  and  apostles,  called  and 
ordained  by  the  Lord,  is  in  line  with  His  past  work.  This 
principle  was  followed  when  He  called  Paul  by  direct  reve- 
lation and  personally  ordained  him  to  carry  the  Gospel  and 
Priesthood  and  revelations  to  the  Gentiles.  (See  pages  102-5 
herein.)  The  same  principle  was  fulfilled  when  He  carried 
the  Gospel  to  Ephraim  of  America  in  A.  D.  34;  also  in  this 
day  and  age  unto  the  Gentiles  thru  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith;  and,  according  to  prophecy,  He  is  to  do  likewise 
when  He  sends  it  back  to  the  tribes  of  Israel.  (See  chapters 
four  and  six  herein  for  the  mission  and  authority  of  these 
future  prophets.) 

These  specially  ordained  prophets  are  to  direct  the  gath- 
ering of  the  Jews  and  Gentiles;  and  they,  with  their  assist- 
ants, will  present  the  Gospel  to  every  man,  in  his  own  lan- 
guage, and  in  such  plainness  and  convincing  power  that  the 
rejecting  of  it  will  mean  his  destruction.  We  quote  the 
words  of  the  Angel  to  the  Prophet  Nephi: 

"Thou  hast  beheld  that  if  the  Gentiles  repent,  it  shall  be 
well  with  them,  and  thou  also  knowest  concerning  the  cove- 
nants of  the  Lord  unto  the  House  of  Israel;  and  thou  also 
hast  heard  that  whoso  repenteth  not,  must  perish;  therefore, 
woe  be  unto  the  Gentiles,  if  it  so  be  that  they  harden  their 
hearts  against  the  Lamb  of  God:  For  the  time  cometh,  saith 

21 


the  Lamb  of  God,  That  I  will  work  a  great  and  a  marvelous 
work  among  the  children  of  men;  a  work  which  shall  be  ever- 
lasting, either  on  the  one  hand  or  on  the  other:  either  to 
the  convincing  of  them  unto  peace  and  life  eternal,  or  unto 
the  deliverance  of  them  to  the  hardness  of  their  hearts  and 
the  blindness  of  their  minds,  unto  their  being  brought  down 
into  captivity,  and  also  into  destruction,  both  temporally  and 
spiritually,  according  to  the  captivity  of  the  devil,  of  which 
I  have  spoken."  I  Nephi  14:5-7. 

Not  only  are  there  judgments  pronounced  against  the 
unbelieving  Gentiles,  but  also  against  the  believing  Gentiles, 
among  our  own  people,  for  their  love  and  trust  in  carnal 
security;  their  selfishness  for  authority  wherein  they  are 
assuming  the  authority  and  mission  of  these  various  future 
prophets  whom  the  Lord  has  set  apart  for  this  special 
work,  their  efforts  in  trying  to  annul  the  mission  of  others, 
and  for  the  lack  of  faith  and  interest,  by  many,  in  the 
greater  things  of  the  Gospel  and  future  events  in  the  House 
of  Israel. 

These  statements  may  at  first  seem  strange  to  the  reader, 
but,  when  once  understood,  they  will  greatly  assist  in  under- 
standing the  prophecies  relating  to  the  mission  of  certain 
prophets  as  will  be  outlined  in  this  book;  furthermore,  they 
will  tend  to  open  the  eyes  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  and 
will  cause  their  questions  to  become  self -answered  as  to 
why  God  is  to  send  these  special  prophets  instead  of  per- 
mitting those  on  earth  to  carry  out  His  desires. 

THE  OUTWARD  SIGNS,  AMONG  THE  BELIEVING  GEN- 
TILES, OF  SINNING  AGAINST  THE  GOSPEL 

Until  recent  years  there  existed  freedom  among  the  mem- 
bers of  our  Priesthood.  Formerly,  when  they  were  called 
upon  to  speak,  they  chose  the  subjects  the  spirit  thought 
best.  But,  today,  we  must  choose  that  which  has  passed 
the  censor;  hence,  many  changes  have  taken  place  thruout 
the  stakes  of  Zion  in  regard  to  the  topics  of  the  day  and  con- 
ditions in  general.  Futhermore,  if  any  member  of  the  rank 
and  file  of  the  Priesthood  or  membership  should  fail  to  con- 

22 


cur  with  these  various  new  conditions  and  feel  to  speak  his 
honest  thoughts  with  the  spirit  of  counsel,  and  not  that  of 
faul  finding,  he  is,  nevertheless,  boldly  branded  by  those 
above  him  as  possessing  the  spirit  of  apostasy. 

The  Prophet  Nephi  has  given  a  perfect  description  of  con- 
ditions that  would  exist  among  various  churches  of  the 
latter  days,  whose  foundations  would  be  of  men  and  who 
dwell  not  in  Zion;  He  sets  forth  the  mighty  struggle  of 
Lucifer  during  those  days  to  deceive  all,  and  if  possible,  to 
enlist  them  against  that  which  is  good.  He  then  refers  to 
another  people  who  dwell  in  Zion,  as  follows: 

"And  others  will  he  pacify,  and  lull  them  away  into  carnal 
security,  that  they  will  say,  all  is  well  in  Zion;  yea,  Zion 
prospereth,  all  is  well;  and  thus  the  devil  cheateth  their 
souls,  and  leadeth  them  away  carefully  down  to  hell.  24. 
Therefore,  woe  be  unto  him  that  is  at  ease  in  Zion.  Woe 
be  unto  him  that  crieth,  All  is  well;  27.  Yea,  woe  be  unto 
him  that  saith,  We  have  received,  and  we  need  no  more. 
31.  Cursed  is  he  that  putteth  his  trust  in  man,  or  maketh 
flesh  his  arm,  or  shall  hearken  unto  the  precepts  of  men, 
save  their  precepts  shall  be  given  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost."  II  Nephi  28:21,  24,  25,  27,  31. 

The  astonishing  facts  which  present  themselves  here  are 
that  these  latter  people  should  be  separated  from  the  other 
churches,  inasmuch  as  they  should  be  of  Zion,  and  they  would 
say,  in  that  day,  that  Zion  prospereth  and  all  is  well, 
although  they  themselves  would  be  lulled  away  into  carnal 
security.  The  question  may  here  be  asked,  Do  we  not  know 
and  proclaim  that  our  foundation  is  of  God  and  not  of  men, 
and  are  we  not  of  Zion,  and  do  we  not  dwell  in  the  stakes  of 
Zion;  and  have  not  the  church  and  the  individuals  in  recent 
years,  become  wrapped  up  into  carnal  security?  Is  it  not 
a  fact  that  our  tithing  funds  have  been  hoarded  up  in  vast 
sums  and  sunk  into  stocks  and  bonds;  in  great  modern  hotels, 
(one  with  an  elaborate  bar  room,  until  recently  closed  by 
the  State)  and  unessential  church  investments,  instead  of 
applying  it  as  the  revelations  call  for,  in  supporting  the 
ministry,  in  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  and  for  the  poor. 

23 


(Mai.  3:8-10.     See  page  181  herein.) 

Furthermore,  is  it  not  a  fact  that  our  leader  is  completely 
covered  up  in  worldly  business  matters.  It  appears  to  the 
writer,  that  if  this  energy  of  our  leading  brethren  was  used 
to  elevate  the  spiritual  condition  of  the  Saints,  instead 
of  trying  to  build  up  a  huge  financial  corporation,  we 
would  be  far  better  off  without  to  say  the  least.  Then  again, 
are  there  not  many  of  the  leading  brethren  drawing  their 
church  salaries,  which  they  are  entitled  to  receive,  but,  at 
the  same  time  they  are  compelling  the  lower  members  to 
support  self  and  family  while  on  their  missions  of  from  one 
to  four  years  and  sometimes  these  are  forced  to  return  home 
before  they  complete  their  missions  for  want  of  private 
funds.  The  church  has  sufficient  for  stocks  and  bonds,  but 
not  enough  for  these  humble  elders. 

As  to  revelations,  did  we  not  receive  them  up  to  about 
1882,  down  to  President  John  Taylor's  day,  and  then  for 
some  reason  the  heavens  have  ever  since  been  silent;  and  do 
we  not  often  hear  those  who  try  to  excuse  the  present  condi- 
tions in  the  church  say  that  we  have  received  all  that  we 
need  and  are  able  to  live  up  to,  and  are  in  need  of  no  more. 

Is  it  not  a  fact  that  our  president  emphatically  made  the 
following  statment  at  the  October  conference  of  1902,  which 
followed  his  remarks  on  the  prosperous  condition  of  the 
Saints:  "We  feel  in  our  hearts  that  Zion  is  prospering  and 
all  is  well  with  the  people  of  God."  Is  it  not  also  a  fact  that 
this  same  thought  was  dwelt  upon  by  the  following  speaker, 
the  president  of  the  California  Mission,  and  has 'ever  since 
become  a  common  expression  in  conversation  and  song 
among  our  people.  (Hymn  No.  153.)  If  so,  then  we  have 
literally  fulfilled  this  prophecy.  Therefore  it  is  high  time 
for  us  to  make  ourselves  right  with  God.  This  will  include 
the  withdrawing  of  our  tithing  funds  from  the  stock  and 
bond  world,  and  investing  them  in  spreading  the  Gospel,  and 
also  making  it  possible  for  the  humble  Seventy,  or  Elder,  to 
carry  it  without  leaving  his  family  to  strive  alone.  But,  if 
we  willfully  continue  to  develop  carnal  security  then  how 
can  we  evade  the  same  judgments  that  have  been  pronounced 
against  Babylon  and  the  nations  who  have  drunk  from  the 

24 


golden  cup  of  greed?     (Isa.  28:1-3.     D.  C.  85:6-12.) 

Thruout  the  days  of  Joseph  Smith  and  many  years 
afterwards,  the  Priesthood  stood  undivided  as  to  the  literal 
fulfillment  of  various  revelations  proclaiming  a  future  mis- 
sion of  certain  prophets  who  are  listed  to  come  forth  at  the 
final  gathering  of  Israel.  The  fulfillment  of  these  proph- 
ecies, in  those  days,  was  a  continual  happy  anticipation;  but 
today  it  is  a  different  story  with  many  of  us. 

One  need  travel  but  little  among  our  people  to  satisfy 
himself  that  the  attention  of  the  Saints  are  well  directed  to 
the  present  leaders  and  not  to  those  certain  mighty  prophets 
whose  coming  is  at  our  door.  For  example :  A  certain  class 
teacher  once  outlined  to  his  class,  by  request,  scripture  proof 
concerning  the  future  mission  of  these  various  prophets. 
He  cited  proof  beyond  controversy,  but  the  Presiding  Elder 
called  upon  a  certain  bishop,  whose  name  is  withheld  thru 
due  respect,  to  answer  these  "certain  undesired  quotations." 
The  bishop  stated  that  we  were  living  in  the  present  age  and 
not  the  future,  that  all  authority  had  been  given  to  the  pres- 
ent authorities,  therefore,  why  go  into  these  future  un- 
knowns. He  then  remarked  that  men  often  search  the 
scriptures  and  become  able  to  present  a  comparatively  clear 
interpretation  of  certain  prophecies,  but  at  the  same  time, 
they,  themselves,  are  often  on  the  road  to  apostasy. 

From  the  above  line  of  thought,  which  is  found  thruout 
the  stakes  of  Zion,  the  reader  can  see  the  position  that  every 
one  finds  himself  in  if  he  undertakes  to  set  forth  these  cer- 
tain scriptures.  Then  there  are  others  who  dare  not  deny 
the  scriptures,  but  will  evade  them  by  saying  that  "the  time 
has  not  come  for  these  things."  But  they  forget  that  87 
years  have  passed  of  the  generation  that  shall  witness 
the  beginning  and  end  of  all  these  things.  (C.  H.,  Vol.  1, 
p.  315-6.  J.  S.  T.,  p.  39-40.  D.  C.  84:2-5.  D.  C.  45:24:32. 
5:18-20.  Math.  24:27-35.  Inspired  Translation,  also  in  P. 
of  G.  P.,  page  78,  verses  27-34.) 

The  fulfillment  of  many  events  has  been  foretold  in 
the  scriptures  by  referring  to  the  first,  second,  third  or 
fourth  generation;  but  in  no  instance,  to  the  writer's  knowl- 

25 


edge,  has  the  time  of  fulfillment  reached  the  one  hundred 
year  unit.  If  we  consider  the  few  remaining  years  of  the 
generation  of  1830,  and  the  time  that  will  be  required  to 
complete  these  Greater  Things,  then  we  will  appreciate  the 
fact  that  the  beginning  of  them  is  indeed  at  our  doors. 
The  last  hour  of  the  watch  will  soon  he  over,  will  we  sleep 
until  the  end? 

For  the  last  twelve  years  a  strong  effort  has  been  made 
by  the  church  authorities  to  prevent  certain  prophecies  from 
being  publicly  discussed  unless  the  speaker  takes  the  church 
view.  Scores  of  worthy  members  of  the  Priesthood  and 
Saints  thruout  these  years  have  suffered  excommunication 
from  their  Brethren  over  these  prophecies,  the  church 
authorities  maintaining  that  all  authority  has  been  given 
unto  them;  and  they  have  completely  eliminated  the  future 
mission  of  certain  prophets,  whereas  the  other  side  accepts 
the  prophecies  setting  forth  the  future  coming  of  these  cer- 
tain prophets  to  lead  in  the  final  gathering  of  Israel  and  the 
setting  of  the  House  of  God  in  order.  Unfortunately,  there 
have  been,  from  time  to  time,  certain  members  of  the  Priest- 
hood who  have  partly  understood  these  prophecies,  but  thru 
desire  for  honor  and  power,  or  reasons  unknown,  have 
claimed  to  be  these  certain  prophets  themselves,  and  have 
led  away  a  number  of  honest  souls,  but  at  the  present  time 
there  remain  but  very  few  who  still  maintain  any  hope  in 
their  personal  claims. 

The  results  of  their  mission  have  brought  many  hard- 
ships to  their  followers;  the  greater  portion  of  them  have 
been  cut  off  from  the  church,  but,  as  a  whole,  some  good 
results  have  been  accomplished  by  causing  many  to  search 
the  scriptures  thru  the  controversies  which  have  taken  place 
during  the  past  twelve  years  and  the  fight  for  the  right  to 
believe  and  teach  these  prophecies;  hence,  today,  thousands 
are  anxiously  anticipating  their  complete  fulfillment. 

While  these  benefits  have  been  accomplished  by  a  min- 
ority, the  church  as  a  whole,  has  rejected  them  by  eliminating 
the  future  mission  of  the  "Marred  Servant"  and  the  "Man 

26 


like  Moses";  also  the  "One  Mighty  and  Strong,"  who  is  to 
come  and  set  the  House  of  God  in  order;  and  she  has  ignored 
the  future  mission  of  John  the  Revelator  and  the  Three 
Nephites.  In  ignoring  and  denying  this  portion  of  the  scrip- 
tures all  who  do  so  have  sinned  against  the  Gospel  which 
they  profess,  and  have  linked  themselves  with  the  unbe- 
lieving Gentiles  who  deny  the  whole.  The  result  of  their 
course  and  decisions  is  plainly  outlined  in  prophecy  and  will 
be  further  discussed  in  the  following  chapters.  The  Lord 
has  said: 

"When  men  are  called  unto  mine  everlasting  gospel,  and 
covenant  with  an  everlasting  covenant  ,they  are  counted  as 
the  salt  of  the  earth,  and  the  savor  of  men;  they  are  called 
to  be  the  savor  of  men.  Therefore,  if  that  salt  of  the  earth 
lose  its  savor,  behold,  it  is  henceforth  good  for  nothing,  only 
to  be  cast  out,  and  trodden  under  the  feet  of  men."  (D.  C. 
101 :39-40.)  "And  thus  commandeth  the  Father  that  I  should 
say  unto  you  at  that  day  when  the  Gentiles  shall  sin  against 
my  gospel,  and  shall  be  lifted  up  in  the  pride  of  their  hearts 
above  all  nations,  and  above  all  the  people  of  the  whole 
earth,  and  shall  be  filled  with  all  manner  of  lying,  and  of 
deceits,  and  of  mischiefs,  and  all  manner  of  hypocrisy,  and 
murder,  and  priestcrafts,  and  whoredoms,  and  of  secret 
abominations;  and  if  they  shall  do  all  those  things,  and  shall 
reject  the  fullness  of  my  gospel,  behold,  saith  the  Father, 
I  will  bring  the  fullness  of  my  gospel  from  among  them; 
"And  then  I  will  remember  my  covenant  which  I  have  made 
unto  my  people,  O  house  of  Israel,  and  I  will  bring  my 
gospel  unto  them;  15.  But  if  they"  (the  Gentiles)  "will 
not  turn  unto  me,  and  hearken  unto  my  voice,  I  will  suffer 
them,  yea,  I  will  suffer  my  people,  0  house  of  Israel,  that 
they  shall  go  through  among  them,  and  shall  tread  them 
down,  and  they  shall  be  as  salt  that  hath  lost  its  savor,  which 
is  henceforth  good  for  nothing,  but  to  be  cast  out,  and  to 
be  trodden  under  foot  by  my  people,  O  house  of  Israel." 
Ill  Nephi  16:10-11,  15.  (D.  C.  77:15;  85:6-12.  Ill  Nephi 
21:8-21.) 

27 


According  to  the  first  quotation,  men  become  the  salt  of 
the  earth  when  they  accept  and  enter  into  the  covenants  of 
the  Gospel;  therefore  the  application  of  the  second  quota- 
tion applies  to  both  the  unbelieving  and  believing  Gentiles, 
else  how  can  the  unbelieving  Gentile  become  the  salt  of  the 
earth  that  has  lost  its  savor,  and  sin  against  the  Gospel  and 
covenants  which  they  have  not  accepted  or  entered  into. 

The  complete  fulfillment  and  climax  of  sinning  against 
the  Gospel  by  both  branches  of  the  Gentiles  will  take  place 
at  the  coming  of  the  Marred  Servant.  This  mighty  prophet 
is  to  bring  forth  a  great  and  marvelous  work  among  the 
Gentiles  (III  Nephi  20th  and  21st  chapters),  and  from  the 
Gentiles  to  the  natural  branches  of  Israel.  But  according 
to  prophecy,  the  Gentiles  as  a  whole  will  reject  his  mission; 
then  will  come  that  terrible  judgment  with  no  avenue  of 
escape.  (See  divisions  "Marred  Servant"  and  "Remnants 
of  Jacob"  for  his  mission  and  following  judgments.) 

At  the  present  day,  one  needs  to  converse  but  little  with 
our  Priesthood  to  notice  the  personal  ambition  of  various 
individuals  to  deny  or  assume  the  authority  and  mission  of 
these  future  prophets;  the  lack  of  interest  toward  the  final 
gathering  of  the  Saints  and  the  establishment  of  Zion;  the 
censorship  that  is  placed  upon  these  certain  prophecies;  the 
entering  of  the  church  into  carnal  security  (the  money 
world) ;  the  general  lack  of  interest  among  the  Saints  in 
church  affairs,  and,  the  marvelous  decline  of  spiritual  gifts 
thruout  the  entire  body  of  the  church.  As  to  revelations, 
they  are  blessings  of  the  good  old  years  that  have  passed. 
(See  page  185.) 

These  few  but  important  facts,  among  many,  will  tend  to 
convince  the  reader  that  conditions  must  be  changed,  and 
that  God  will  have  to  send  "One  Mighty  and  Strong"  to  set 
the  House  of  God  in  order,  gather  the  Saints  and  divide  by 
lot  their  inheritances  in  Zion,  if  these  things  are  ever 
to  be  accomplished. 


28 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE  ONE  MIGHTY  AND  STRONG 

Among  the  various  principles  which  the  twentieth  cen- 
tury Latter  Day  Saints  are  expected  to  believe  and  teach 
is  one  which  says  that  God  is  going  to  fulfill  the  greater 
portion  of  His  word,  but  that  portion  which  pertains  to  the 
coming  forth  of  the  "One  Mighty  and  Strong,"  to  set  the 
House  of  God  in  order  and  divide  by  lot  the  inheritances 
of  the  Saints  in  Zion,  has  become  obsolete  and  will  have  no 
fulfillment.  This  prophecy  is  the  sum  and  substance  of 
this  chapter. 

We  as  a  people  have  in  the  past  stood  foremost  among 
those  who  believe  and  accept  the  scriptures  at  their  face 
value.  One  of  the  many  reasons  for  this  course  is  that  there 
is  an  unlimited  amount  of  evidence  connected  with  the  ful- 
fillment of  all  prophecy,  which  proclaims  the  fulfillment 
according  to  its  plain  reading  and  interpretation;  therefore, 
let  us  make  a  brief  review  of  the  conditions  which  brought 
about  this  particular  prophecy  and  then  consider  its  wording. 

It  was  in  the  year  nineteen  hundred  and  five  that  a  certain 
member  of  our  Priesthood,  of  Salt  Lake  City,  publicly  pro- 
claimed himself  this  Mighty  and  Strong  One.  His  preaching 
on  these  prophecies,  about  which  many  of  the  Saints  were 
eager  to  learn,  soon  drew  them  to  his  meetings.  Now, 
instead  of  the  authorities  calling  a  general  priesthood  meet- 
ing and  proving  this  individual's  claims  erroneous  by  sound 
reasoning,  and  thus  convincing  that  portion  of  the  Brethren 
and  Saints  and  possibly  the  individual  himself,  which  course 
would  have  brought  the  matter  to  a  satisfactory  conclusion, 
and  would  have  left  the  revelation  in  the  hands  of  God  to 
fulfil  in  His  own  due  time,  they  issued  the  1905  Church 
Epistle  declaring  the  prophecy  of  the  eighty-fifth  section  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants  obsolete.  The  result  was  that  a  por- 
tion of  the  Brethren  and  Saints  who  had  previously  studied 

29 


these  certain  prophecies,  knowing  that  the  decision  of  the 
Priesthood  was  in  conflict  with  the  Word  of  God,  could  not 
accept  it,  but  rather  were  they  encouraged  to  follow  the 
man  who  acknowledged  the  Word  of  God,  although  he  was 
misapplying  it  to  himself,  which  fact  they  have  since  found 
out. 

This  1905  Epistle  was  signed  by  the  three  members  of 
the  First  Presidency  and  published  in  the  church  official 
organ,  "The  Deseret  News,"  in  November,  1905,  and  repub- 
lished  in  the  Church  Priesthood  Magazine,  "The  Improve- 
ment Era,"  in  October,  1907.  It'  was  issued  and  stamped 
"to  be  received  as  authoritative."  It  covered  about  six  long 
columns,  but  on  account  of  its  length,  lack  of  reason,  logic, 
and  having  for  its  aim  the  annulling  of  the  anticipation  of 
the  fulfillment  of  that  certain  portion  of  the  Word  of  God, 
no  attempt  will  be  made  to  incorporate  the  whole  in  these 
short  chapters.  However,  the  entire  Epistle  can  be  found 
in  the  Salt  Lake  City  libraries.  The  article  is  beyond  all 
doubt  the  weakest  argument  ever  produced  in  the  Church, 
and  will  further  prove  itself  to  be  a  shame  and  disgrace  to 
those  who  wrote  and  signed  it.  The  name  of  its  true  author 
was  not  given;  the  authorities  referring  to  the  article  as 
being  written  by  somebody. 

This  ecclesiastical  Epistle  was  especially  issued  and  used 
as  the  lever  of  evidence  for  the  excommunication  of  the 
would-be  "Mighty  and  Strong  One.;<)  It  has  since  been  like- 
wise used  against  scores  of  worthy  members  of  both  Priest- 
hood and  Saints,  thruout  the  stakes  of  Zion,  who  have  openly 
declared  their  belief  in  these  prophecies.  One  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Presidency,  who  signed  the  Epistle,  has 
since  passed  beyond  the  veil;  the  vacancy  was  filled  by 
Apostle  Charles  W.  Penrose.  The  same  attitude,  however, 
is  still  maintained  against  those  who  declare  their  belief  in 
these  latter  day  prophecies.  We  quote  the  language  of  Presi- 
dent Penrose  on  this  question  as  given  in  April,  1913,  at  the 
eighty-third  annual  conference: 

"Yet  every  now  and  then  somebody  starts  up  and  claims 

30 


to  be  the  man  Mighty  and  Strong  who  is  to  set  the  House 
of  the  Lord  in  order,  and  perform  a  number  of  works  spoken 
of  in  the  revelations  of  God  which  we  understand  have  really 
been  fulfilled,  and  that  he  is  appointed  and  you  are  to  follow 
him,  for  he  proclaims  revelations  by  way  of  commandment 
to  the  church.  Now  the  simple  way  is  to  say,  it  cannot  be 
true,  because  the  Lord  says,  He  will  not  do  that  kind  of 
thing,  and  if  any  man  is  really  appointed  of  the  Lord,  He 
says  he  shall  come  in  at  the  gate  and  be  ordained,  as  the 
Lord  provided.  So  that  in  the  church  there  is  no  need  for 
any  of  us  to  be  led  off  in  wrong  directions.  Sometimes  men 
have  come  to  the  President  of  the  church  and  claimed  to  be 
the  person  to  be  raised  up  'like  unto  Moses/  and  demanded 
the  keys  of  the  church."  These  remarks  of  President  Pen- 
rose  were  immediately  approved  by  President  Joseph  F. 
Smith  as  follows:  "There  is  no  necessity  for  me  to  bear  my 
testimony  to  every  word  and  sentiment  that  has  been 
expressed  this  morning  by  President  Charles  W.  Penrose, 
I  simply  wanted  to  give  expression  to  this  fact,  for 
it  is  true."  (Page  62-63  of  pamphlet  of  the  eighty-third 
annual  conference.) 

President  Penrose's  remarks  in  regard  to  the  Man  like 
Moses,  (the  promised  future  redeemer  of  Zion)  indicate 
that  he  also  considers  the  103rd  section  of  Doctrine  and 
Covenants  likewise  fulfilled;  which  is  the  general  interpre- 
tation placed  upon  this  prophecy  by  those  who  advocate  the 
past  fulfillment  of  the  greater  portion  of  these  great  future 
events  and  that  they  or  their  successors  will  fulfil  the 
remainder.  President  Penrose  places  great  stress  on  the 
thought  that  any  future  leader  must  come  thru  their  ordina- 
tion; however,  it  is  needless  to  say  that  if  God  has  previously 
called,  foreordained,  set  apart  and  preserved  in  the  flesh 
certain  prophets  to  perform  certain  Latter  Day  work,  they 
will  come  with  full  authority  to  act  and  perform  their 
missions. 

According  to  Joseph  Smith's  writings  and  the  revelations 
given  thru  him,  the  mission  of  John  the  Revelator,  Elijah, 

31 


the  three  Nephites,  Moroni  and  Adam  have  not  yet  been  com- 
pleted. In  case  the  Mighty  and  Strong  One  should  prove  to 
be  one  of  these  great  Prophets,  do  you  think  for  one 
moment  that  he  would  come  begging  for  authority  to  per- 
form his  labors?  No,  he  will  come  fully  prepared  to  act  and 
bring  forth  God's  Marvelous  and  Strange  work  in  cutting 
off  the  wicked,  redeeming  and  gathering  the  righteous.  (D. 
C.  77:8-11,  14-15;  85:6-12.  Ill  Nephi  28:25-32.  Ill  Nephi 
21:7-29.) 

The  question  will  reverse  itself  in  that  day,  for  we  will 
all  be  asking  ourselves,  will  our  lives  and  labors  be  ac- 
cepted and  will  God  permit  us  to  continue  in  His  Holy 
Work  of  gathering  Israel.  The  history  of  the  prophets 
throughout  all  the  ages  shows  they  have  come  with  full 
authority  to  perform  their  mission;  hence,  we  may  continue 
to  look  for  them  to  come  with  this  authority  to  perform  their 
labors  thru  their  own  lawful  Priesthood  rights  and  callings 
received  during  their  former  missions.  (D.  C.  112:30-32.) 
They  will,  no  doubt,  co-operate  with  the  righteous;  but  they 
will  also  steer  the  old  ship  Zion  alone  if  necessary.  Prophecy 
clearly  sets  forth  that  they  will  take  up  the  lead  when  they 
come. 

Before  quoting  the  revelation  pertaining  to  the  Mighty 
and  Strong  One,  a  brief  sketch  will  be  given  of  the  conditions 
which  existed  at  the  time  of  the  receiving  of  the  revelation. 
The  expulsion  of  the  Saints  from  the  Eastern  states  to  the 
Western  frontier  began  as  early  as  1831,  Missouri,  Ohio  and 
Illinois  becoming  the  chief  centers.  Thru  a  revelation  given 
in  1832  it  was  made  known  that  Independence,  Missouri, 
would  be  the  center  of  Zion,  the  location  of  the  great  future 
temple  and  the  city  of  the  New  Jerusalem;  that  her  inhab- 
itants would  be  the  believing  members  of  the  House  of 
Joseph,  /(or  Ephraim),  and  the  believing  Gentiles,  (D.  C. 
84:1-5.  Ill  Nephi  21:22-25.),  therefore  the  Saints  soon 
gathered  to  Zion  and  in  due  time  new  homes  were  built  up 
and  blessings  began  to  come  their  way  again. 

The  law  of  consecration,  or  celestial  law,  was  established 

32 


in  Zion  by  revelation.  (D.  C.  58 :35-36 ;  78  :1-12,  104 :47-53.) 
but  thru  greed,  envy  and  strife  the  Saints  failed  to  live  this 
higher  law,  which,  according  to  prophecy,  is  the  only  law 
under  which  God  will  permit  Zion  to  be  built  up.  (D.  C. 
101:1-9,  16-18;  105:1-6.) 

This  law  required  one  to  dedicate  all  he  had  to  the  general 
welfare  of  the  Saints,  receiving  in  return  enough  from  the 
Bishop  for  his  family  and  business,  each  individual  acting  as 
a  steward  over  that  portion  of  the  Lord's  storehouse.  Hence, 
those  who  possessed  an  excess  contributed  to  those  who  had 
not  enough;  therefore  in  Zion  there  would  be  no  rich  or 
poor.  (D.  C.  51:1-20;  49:19-20.) 

Jealousy  also  began  to  fill  the  hearts  of  the  citizens  of 
Missouri.  Fearing  that  the  Saints  might  control  a  small  por- 
tion of  their  state,  they  lost  no  time  in  bringing  unbearable 
persecution  upon  them.  They  destroyed  their  homes  and 
crops,  and  directed  their  cold  blooded  murderous  acts  against 
the  old  and  young,  women  and  children,  until  the  Saints  were 
forced  to  leave.  History  tells  us  that  the  lieutenant  gov- 
ernor and  state  troops  joined  the  mob  in  throwing  tar  mixed 
with  strong  acid  and  feathers  upon  Edward  Partridge  and 
others. 

It  was  this  gloomy  condition  existing  in  Zion  which 
prompted  some  of  her  righteous  leaders  to  appeal  to  their 
God  in  prayer  as  to  the  time  when  Zion  would  rest  in  peace 
and  be  firmly  established.  These  leaders  felt  the  burden 
of  the  responsibility  of  providing  a  resting  place  for  those 
Saints  who  were  on  the  road  to  Zion.  They  also  foresaw 
the  fall  of  Zion  due  to  the  failure  of  living  the  laws  of  God 
thru  jealousy,  and  lack  of  harmony  within.  According  to 
the  revelations  given  after  the  fall  of  Zion  (as  previously 
cited),  we  are  informed  that  this  was  the  reason  God  per- 
mitted His  wrath  to  be  poured  out  upon  them  from  that  day 
until  Zion  fell  in  1833. 

One  of  these  noble  leaders  was  William  Phelps,  who  at 
that  time  was  managing  the  church  printing  press  in  Zion. 
(C.  H.,  Vol.  1,  p.  270.)  Phelps'  prayers  were  answered 

33 


thru  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith ,  for  we  find  a  letter  written 
by  Joseph  to  Phelps  dated  November  27,  1832,  wherein  the 
Prophet  voluntarily  informs  him  that  thru  a  vision  from 
heaven  he  had  obtained  a  knowledge  of  his  righteousness, 
therefore  with  this  confidence,  he  would  reveal  unto  him  the 
asnwer  to  his  question  pertaining  to  Zion. 

The  revealing  of  a  revelation  thru  the  epistle  or  letter  to 
Phelps  is  only  one  of  several  instances  where  a  similar  course 
was  followed.  (See  C.  H.  for  section  121,  122,  and  123.) 
This  letter  of  transmittal  furnished  the  reason  and  where- 
fore of  the  revelation.  We  therefore  quote  Joseph's  letter 
taken  from  C.  H.,  Vol.  1,  in  order  that  the  reader  may 
judge  for  himself  and  see  that  the  revelation  in  question  was 
given  without  conditions  and  is  to  have  a  sure  fulfillment  at 
the  time  of  Zion's  redemption. 

Inasmuch  as  Zion  has  not  been  redeemed  to  this  day,  the 
fulfillment  is  future  according  to  the  Word  of  God,  regard- 
less of  the  feelings  or  opinions  of  men.  Particular  attention 
should  be  paid  to  Phelps'  question  and  the  revelation  given 
in  answer,  for  in  them  lies  the  key  to  the  problem. 

"Kirtland,  Nov.  27th,  1832. 

"Brother  William  W.  Phelps : — I  say  brother,  because  I 
feel  so  from  the  heart,  and  although  it  is  not  long  since  I 
wrote  a  letter  unto  you,  yet  I  feel  as  though  you  would 
excuse  me  for  writing  this,  as  I  have  many  things  which  I 
wish  to  communicate.  Some  things  which  I  will  mention  in 
this  letter,  which  are  lying  with  great  weight  on  my  mind. 
I  am  well,  and  my  family  also;  God  grant  that  you  may 
enjoy  the  same,  and  yours,  and  all  the  Brethren  and  Sisters 
who  remember  to  enquire  after  the  commandments  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  welfare  of  Zion,  and  such  a  being  as  myself; 
and  while  I  dictate  this  letter,  I  fancy  to  myself  that  you 
are  saying  or  thinking  something  similar  to  these  words: 
'My  God,  great  and  mighty  art  Thou,  therefore  show  unto 
Thy  servant  what  shall  become  of  all  those  who  are  essaying 
to  come  up  unto  Zion,  in  order  to  keep  the  commandments 

34 


of  God,  and  yet  receive  not  their  inheritance  by  consecra- 
tions, by  order  or  deed  from  the  Bishop,  the  man  that  God 
has  apponited  in  a  legal  way,  agreeable  to  the  law  given  to 
organize  and  regulate  the  Church,  and  all  the  affairs  of  the 
same. 

"Brother  William,  in  the  love  of  God,  having  the  most 
implicit  confidence  in  you  as  a  man  of  God,  having  obtained 
this  confidence  by  a  vision  of  heaven,  therefore  1  will  pro- 
ceed to  unfold  to  you  some  of  the  feelings  of  my  heart,  and 
to  answer  the  question.  (The  revelation  follows.) 

"Firstly,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Lord's  clerk,  whom  He  has 
appointed,  to  keep  a  history,  and  a  General  Church  Record 
of  all  things  that  transpire  in  Zion,  and  of  all  those  who  con- 
secrate properties,  and  receive  inheritances  legally  from  the 
Bishop ;  and  also  their  manner  of  life,  their  faith,  and  works ; 
and  also  of  the  apostates  who  apostatize  after  receiving  their 
inheritances.  It  is  contrary  to  the  will  and  commandment  of 
God,  that  those  who  receive  not  their  inheritance  by  conse- 
cration, agreeably  to  His  laws,  which  He  has  given,  that  He 
may  tithe  His  people,  to  prepare  them  against  the  day  of 
vengeance  and  burning,  should  have  their  names  enrolled 
with  the  people  of  God;  neither  is  their  genealogy  to  be 
kept,  or  to  be  had  where  it  may  be  found  on  any  of  the 
records  or  history  of  the  Church;  their  names  shall  not  be 
found  neither  the  names  of  the  fathers,  nor  the  names  of  the 
children  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  God,  saith  the 
Lord  of  Hosts.  Yea,  thus  saith  the  still  small  voice,  which 
whispereth  through  and  pierceth  all  things,  and  often  times 
it  maketh  my  bones  to  quake  while  it  maketh  manifest, 
saying:  and  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  I,  the  Lord  God,  will 
send  one  mighty  and  strong,  holding  the  sceptre  of  power  in 
his  hand,  clothed  with  light  for  a  covering,  whose  mouth 
shall  utter  words,  eternal  words;  while  His  bowels  shall  be 
a  fountain  of  truth,  to  set  in  order  the  house  of  God,  and 
to  arrange  by  lot  the  inheritances  of  the  saints,  whose  names 
are  found,  and  the  names  of  their  fathers,  and  of  their 
children,  enrolled  in  the  book  of  the  law  of  God:  while  that 

35 


man,  who  was  called  of  God  and  appointed,  that  putteth  forth 
his  hand  to  steady  the  ark  of  God,  shall  fall  by  the  shaft  of 
death,  like  as  a  tree  that  is  smitten  by  the  vivid  shaft  of 
lightning;  and  all  they  who  are  not  found  written  in  the  book 
of  remembrance,  shall  find  none  inheritance  in  that  day,  but 
they  shall  be  cut  asunder,  and  their  portion  shall  be 
appointed  them  among  unbelievers,  where  are  wailing  and 
gnashing  of  teeth.  These  things  I  say  not  of  myself;  there- 
fore, as  the  Lord  speaketh,  He  will  also  fulfil.  And  they 
who  are  of  the  High  Priesthood,  whose  names  are  not  found 
written  in  the  book  of  the  law,  or  that  are  found  to  have 
apostatized,  or  to  have  been  cut  off  from  the  Church;  as 
well  as  the  lesser  Priesthood,  or  the  members,  in  that  day, 
shall  not  find  an  inheritance  among  the  Saints  of  the  Most 
High;  therefore  it  shall  be  done  unto  them  as  unto  the 
children  of  the  priest,  as  will  be  found  recorded  in  the 
second  chapter  and  sixty-first  and  sixty-second  verses  of 
Ezra.  .  .  ." 

"Yours  in  bonds.    Amen." 

(Signed)    "JOSEPH  SMITH,  JR." 

The  above  quotation,  which  is  found  in  the  85th  section  of 
D.  &  C.,  is  One  of  the  most  piercing  and  far  reaching  proph- 
ecies that  we  have  on  record.  Its  fulfillment  was  to  be  in  a 
future  day;  for  it  says,  "and  it  shall  come  to  pass"  and,  "in 
that  day"  shall  these  things  be  done.  The  language  sets 
forth  how  God  is  to  redeem  Zion,  reward  the  righteous  with 
an  inheritance  and  cut  off  the  wicked  among  the  High  Priest- 
hood and  Saints.  It  refers  to  one  necessarily  of  high  stand- 
ing who,  having  previously  been  "called  of  God  and 
appointed,"  and  who,  setting  forth  his  hand,  in  that  day,  to 
steady  the  Ark  or  Church  of  God  in  some  other  way  than  the 
one  pursued  by  the  One  Mighty  and  Strong,  shall  be  smitten 
with  sudden  death.  Hence  it  will  require  two  (the  "One 
Mighty  and  Strong"  and  the  one  already  "called  of  God  and 
appointed")  to  fulfil  the  prophecy.  This  is  acknowledged 
in  the  first  part  of  the  1905  Epistle. 

None  of  these  events  have  as  yet  taken  place,  but  the  reve- 

36 


lation  says  "as  the  Lord  speaketh,  he  will  also  fulfil."      If  we 

consider  how  some  of  the  Brethren  are  persecuting  and  cut- 
ting off  those  who  raise  their  voice  in  defense  of  this  proph- 
ecy, it  will  be  easy  to  foresee  that  some  will  also  be  ready 
to  raise  their  hand  against  this  prophet  when  he  comes 
according  to  the  sure  word  of  prophecy. 

The  1905  Church  Epistle  claims  that  Edward  Partridge 
was  the  individual  referred  to  as  the  one  "called  and 
appointed"  and  that  he  would  have  fulfilled  that  portion 
which  pertains  to  the  one  "falling  by  the  shaft  of  death" 
had  he  not  repented.  It  also  acknowledges  that  the  Mighty 
and  Strong  One  was  to  do  the  work  Edward  Partridge  had 
been  appointed  to  do  but  had  failed  to  accomplish.  Now  if 
Edward  Partridge  failed  to  divide  the  inheritances  of  the 
Saints  in  Zion  for  the  reason  that  they  had  not  complied 
with  the  law,  then  does  not  the  prophecy  remain  to  be  ful- 
filled in  a  future  day?  Hence  the  necessity  for  the  mission 
of  the  Mighty  and  Strong  One  when  Zion  is  redeemed,  but 
the  1905  Epistle  points  out  that  that  portion  of  the  prophecy 
pertaining  to  the  One  Mighty  and  Strong  to  set  the  House 
of  God  in  order  and  divide  by  lot  the  inheritances  of  the 
Saints  had  become  obsolete  and  that  its  significance  had 
therefore  passed  away.  (D.  C.  58:14-18.) 

It  is  indeed  marvelous  how  men  can  consider  the  fulfill- 
ment of  the  convenient  portions  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  at 
the  same  time  try  to  annul  the  /  inconvenient  parts.  It 
requires  no  argument  to  show  the  inconsistency  of  this  latter 
thought;  but  the  preceding  statement  is  equally  in  error,  and 
must  have  a  future  fulfillment  for  the  reason  that  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  exonerated  Edward  Partridge  from 
having  anything  to  do  with  the  fall  of  Zion;  furthermore,  he 
was  not  connected  with  the  revelation.  First,  the  Lord  gave 
several  revelations  to  Joseph  Smith  pertaining  to  Edward 
Partridge,  but  each  time  his  name  was  specified;  so  why 
was  it  not  in  this  most  important  instance? 

Second,  if  the  revelation  was  understood  to  pertain  to 
Partridge  and  his  day,  then  why  did  Joseph  Smith  and  the 

37 


entire  Priesthood  body  permit  the  Apostle  Orson  Pratt  to 
place  a  footnote  under  this  revelation,  stating  "A  future 
messenger  promised?"  This  footnote  is  in  the  latest  edi- 
tion today,  which  is  sufficient  evidence  to  exclude  Partridge 
from  the  revelation.  It  should  also  be  borne  in  mind  that 
Partridge  lived  and  labored  in  the  Church  for  eight  years 
after  the  fall  of  Zion,  and  died  in  full  fellowship;  hence  he 
was  not  the  one  who  is  to  fall  by  the  shaft  of  death  in  conse- 
quence of  a  curse. 

Third,  during  these  eight  years  he  was  one  of  the  principal 
leaders  and  was  honored  and  blessed  by  the  Lord.  Church 
History  informs  us  that  on  July  20,  1833,  he  suffered  himself 
to  be  tarred  and  feathered  for  his  efforts  in  trying  to  estab- 
lish Zion,  and  three  days  later  stepped  out  before  the  same 
mob  (who  had  reformed  themselves  with  greater  vengeance) 
and  offered  his  body  as  a  sacrifice  if  they  would  only  spare 
the  Saints.  (C.  H.,  Vol.  1,  p.  390-4  and  412.)  No  greater 
love  can  a  man  show  for  his  friends  than  to  offer  his  life  for 
them 

Furthermore,  during  these  days  of  persecution,  which 
resulted  in  the  fall  of  Zion,  we  find  in  Church  History  a 
letter  from  Joseph  Smith  referring  to  Edward  Partridge  as 
a  man  "without  guile."  (Vol.  1,  p.  392.)  Again  we  find  a 
letter  from  the  Prophet  to  Edward  Partridge,  William  Phelps 
and  others,  dated  December  10,  1833  (being  one  month  after 
the  fall  of  Zion),  wherein  the  Prophet  exonerated  these  cer- 
tain Brethren  and  referred  to  their  righteousness  and  purity 
of  motives.  He  also  recognized  that  the  responsibility  rested 
upon  those  who  had  failed  to  live  the  law  of  God.  (C.  H., 
Vo.  1.) 

We  also  find  a  revelation  addressed  to  Bishop  Partridge, 
his  counsellors  and  others,  instructing  them  how  they  should 
proceed  in  building  up  the  Stakes  of  Zion;  this  revelation  was 
given  five  years  after  the  fall  of  Zion.  (D.  C.  115:1-9.) 
Again,  on  January  19,  1841,  being  shortly  after  he  had 
passed  beyond  the  veil,  we  find  the  Lord  referring  to  his 
name  as  being  with  the  redeemed.  Quotation  follows: 

38 


"I  say  unto  you,  that  it  is  my  will  that  my  servant  Lyman 
Wight  should  continue  in  preaching  for  Zion,  .  .  .  That 
when  he  shall  finish  his  work,  that  I  may  receive  him  unto 
myself,  even  as  I  did  my  servant  David  Patten,  who  is  with 
me  at  this  time,  and  also  my  servant  Edward  Partridge." 
D.  C.  124:18-19. 

If  consideration  is  given  to  the  words  of  the  Lord  and  the 
statements  of  Joseph  Smith  in  regard  to  the  righteousness  of 
this  man,  then  how  can  his  Brethren,  of  this  day,  lay  such  a 
charge  at  his  door  without  sufficient  evidence?  Why  not  let 
the  judgment  fall  on  the  man  who  commits  the  deed?  It 
would  be  more  appropriate  to  set  his  life  as  a  model,  and 
hope  to  remain  as  true  and  loyal  to  the  church  if  called  upon 
to  bear  one-half  of  his  trials. 

The  writer  of  the  1905  Epistle  concludes  the  same  by 
citing,  what  he  claims,  a  similar  example  wherein  God  pro- 
nounced judgment  against  King  Hezekiah  (II  Kings 
20:1-11),  which  judgment  He  later  revoked.  He  cites  this 
coincidence  to  show  that  God  has  previously  changed  His 
word  of  prophecy;  therefore  the  consistency  of  His  can- 
celling the  one  pertaining  to  the  one  "Called  and  Appointed" 
and  the  "One  Mighty  and  Strong"  ;but  strange  to  say,  the 
writer  of  the  Epistle  fails  to  show  any  reference  where  God 
has  said  or  given  a.  hint  that  He  has  cancelled  the  one  per- 
taining to  the  prophecy  of  this  generation. 

Furthermore,  if  we  consider  the  referred  to  example  of 
King  Hezekiah,  we  find  ourselves  lost  again;  first,  he  was 
one  of  the  most  righteous  kings  that  ever  lived,  (II  Kings 
18:1-7.  II  Chr.  29:1-36;  30:18-27;  31:20-21),  and  it  was  his 
noble  deeds  and  prayers  in  connection  with  the  Prophet 
Isaiah  that  prompted  the  Lord  to  send  a  destroying  angel  to 
destroy  all  the  mighty  men  and  captains  of  the  Assyrian  army 
that  stood  at  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  to  destroy  the  Israelites, 
which  resulted  in  their  retreat.  (Isa.  37:1-37.)  At  a  later 
period  King  Hezekiah  fell  sick,  and  the  Prophet  Isaiah  visited 
his  sick  bed  and  warned  him  by  the  Word  of  God  that  he 
would  "die  and  not  live,"  that  is,  death  would  claim  him 

39 


unless  Gad  saw  fit  to  prolong  his  life.  There  is  not  the 
slightest  hint  that  his  sickness  was  connected  with  divine 
punishment,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the  language  shows  that 
it  Was  not.  The  record  says  that  the  king  turned  his  face 
toward  the  wall  and  prayed,  saying:  "Remember  now,  0 
Lord,  I  beseech  thee,  how  I  have  walked  before  thee  in 
truth  and  with  a  perfect  heart,  and  have  done  that  which  is 
good  in  thy  sight.  And  Hezekiah  wept  sore."  After  further 
pleading  for  an  extension  of  life,  Isaiah  continues : 

"Then  came  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  Isaiah,  saying,  Go, 
and  say  to  Hezekiah,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  God  of  David 
thy  father,  I  have  heard  thy  prayer,  I  have  seen  thy  tears; 
behold,  I  will  add  unto  thy  days  fifteen  years.  And  I  will 
deliver  thee  and  this  city  out  of  the  hand  of  the  king  of 
Assyria;  and  I  will  defend  this  city."  Isa.  38:4-6.  (Isa. 
38:1-22.  II  Kings  20:1-11.) 

The  fact  that  Hezekiah  did  not  ask  forgiveness  for  any 
of  his  deeds,  but  referred  to  his  own  righteousness,  indicates 
a  clear  conscience;  and  the  Lord  accepting  it  as  a  righteous 
prayer,  without  condemning  him  in  any  way,  is  sufficient  to 
show  that  his  sickness  was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  that 
of  nature,  and  that  the  king's  natural  life  was  extended 
fifteen  years  thru  his  faith  and  past  good  works.  The  rec- 
ords show  that  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  enjoying 
the  life  and  peace  which  God  had  granted  him,  and  received 
high  honors  from  all  Judea  when  he  was  laid  away.  (II 
Kings  20:19-21.  Isa.  39:8.) 

In  summing  up  the  words  of  Isaiah  to  Hezekiah,  nothing 
can  be  found  to  show  that  they  were  given  as  a  judgment, 
while  on  the  other  hand,  the  prophecy  of  sending  the  "One 
Mighty  and  Strong"  to  set  the  House  of  God  in  order  and 
bring  judgment  against  the  Priesthood  and  Saints  at  the 
time  of  Zion's  redemption  is  a  clear  pronounced  judgment 
and  future  event  which  has  not  been  revoked,  hence  it  is 
to  have- a  sure  fulfillment  according  to  the  Word  of  God. 
Therefore  one  can  readily  see  that  the  supposed  coincidence 
has  nothing  in  common  with  the  revelation  in  question;  it 

40 


only  goes  to  show  how  hard  put  to  the  writer  was  to  prove 
that  the  revelation  of  the  Eighty-fifth  section  had  become 
obsolete. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  epistles  dealing  with  important 
revelations  and  church  doctrine  which  are  sent  out  broad- 
cast to  all  branches  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  and 
marked  "as  authoritative"  are  supposed  to  be  accepted  as  the 
Word  of  the  Lord,  or  the  silent  dictation  of  the  Holy  Ghost; 
for  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  is  built  upon  revelations; 
hence  nothing  less  than  the  Word  of  God  can  annul  the 
fulfillment  of  the  written  Word. 

On  account  of  the  logical  weakness  of  the  1905  Epistle 
and  the  impossibilities  it  sets  forth,  many  members  have 
questioned  its  origin  from  the  very  beginning,  and  regarded 
it  as  nothing  less  than  the  opinion  of  men.  Therefore,  on 
May  llth,  1914,  between  9  and  10:30  a.  m.,  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  two  brethren  were  sent,  in  behalf  of  others,  to  visit 
the  office  of  the  First  Presidency  by  appointment.  They 
were  received  by  President  Penrose,  and  the  following  was 
one  of  the  questions  asked: 

"Do  you  consider  this  article  on  the  85th  section  of  D.  &  C. 
which  appeared  in  the  October  issue  of  the  "Improvement 
Era"  of  the  year  1907,  and  signed  by  the  First  Presidency, 
as  the  word  of  the  Lord  upon  this  matter?"  Answer:  "NO, 
the  article  was  written  and  received  the  endorsement  of  the 
First  Presidency.  There  has  been  no  revelation  given  upon 
this  subject.  The  Presidency  did  not  write  this  article,  they 
endorsed  it  as  the  explanation  approved  by  them." 

We  here  have  the  origin  of  the  Epistle  in  question,  and  it 
resolves  itself  as  an  opinion  of  men.  It  is  beyond  the  reason- 
ing power  of  the  writer  to  comprehend  how  these  Brethren  • 
can  excommunicate  able  and  worthy  members  of  the  Priest- 
hood and  Saints  and  deny  the  sacrament  and  full  fellowship 
to  others,  having  no  greater  evidence  than  this  man-made 
Epistle.  However,  it  is  no  more  than  right  that  these  would 
be  Moses  and  Mighty  and  Strong  Ones  should  be  cut  off  if 
they  refuse  to  retract;  but  why  go  so  far  as  to  say  that  God 

41 


is  not  going  to  fulfil  His  word  in  due  time?  Jesus  the  Christ 
was  preceded  by  impostors,  and  we  are  told  to  look  for  false 
and  true  prophets  in  the  Latter  Days. 

These  acts  of  denying  scripture  and  these  unrighteous  pro- 
cedures alone,  without  mentioning  many  others,  are  sufficient 
to  show  that  the  Church  is  out  of  order  and  in  need  of  this 
Mighty  and  Strong  One  today.  It  appears  that  it  is  those 
who  fear  his  mission  who  find  it  unpleasant  to  discuss,  and 
who  choose  to  oppose  its  fulfillment;  and  that  it  is  those 
who  love  the  ways  of  God  who  are  hailing  the  day  of  fulfill- 
ment and  the  coming  of  this  "One  Mighty  and  Strong"  to 
cut  off  the  wicked,  divide  by  lot  the  inheritance  of  the  Saints, 
and  establish  Zion  never  to  be  thrown  down  again.  For  he 
is  to  "hold  the  sceptre  of  power  in  his  hand,  clothed  with 
the  light  for  a  covering,  whose  mouth  shall  utter  words, 
eternal  words/' 

When  we  stop  to  consider  the  marvelous  Priesthood  power 
this  prophet  is  to  possess,  the  cutting  off  of  those  of  the  High 
Priesthood,  and  the  setting  of  the  House  of  God  in  order, 
things  which  will  affect  the  entire  church;  the  possibility  of 
the  prophecy  being  fulfilled  by  Edward  Partride,  or  any  other 
future  Bishop,  is  out  of  the  question ;  for  a  Bishop's  authority 
is  only  within  his  own  ward  and  he  is  unable  to  excommuni- 
cate the  least  member  of  the  same,  to  say  nothing  about 
setting  the  House  of  God  in  order,  and  cutting  off  the 
unrighteous  of  the  High  Priesthood. 

At  no  time  in  history  have  our  leaders  dwelt  on  authority 
more  than  at  the  present  time.  They  have  drilled  it  into  us 
that  those  who  hold  a  high  calling  are  not  subject  to  those 
who  hold  a  lesser  one.  But  in  this  case,  strange  to  say,  they 
have  tried  to  convince  us  that  this  prophecy  calls  for  a 
bishop  to  stand  supreme  in  authority,  but,  at  the  same  time 
he  is  to  be  called  and  ordained  thru  them. 

It  will  be  plainly  seen,  by  those  who  study  the  thoughts 
advanced  in  this  book,  that  they  are  fighting  every  prophecy 
pertaining  to  the  future  prophets  who  are  coming  with 
authority.  But  why  should  they  fear  God-sent  leaders  and 

42 


judges?  Is  it  because  they  know  that  many  changes  will 
take  place,  and  that  the  Lord  will  then  no  longer  suffer  the 
tithings  of  His  people  to  be  used  in  buying  stocks  and  bonds 
and  in  the  development  of  industries. 

Today  there  are  thousands  of  Seventies  and  Elders  in  the 
church  who  have  the  knowledge  to  save  the  souls  of  men, 
but  who  have  not  a  surplus  of  resources  sufficient  to  fill  a 
mission.  Would  it  not  be  better  to  obey  the  revelation  of 
God  by  supporting  their  families  while  they  go  on  their  mis- 
sion of  spreading  the  Gospel,  than  to  invest  it  in  fields  that 
are  foreign  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  given?  (See 
page  181.) 

The  author  of  the  1905  Epistle  states  that  the  revelation 
contained  in  the  85th  section  of  D.  &  C.  had  reference  to 
Edward  Partridge,  (who  was  a  bishop),  as  the  man  who  was 
threatened;  and  that  the  portion  pertaining  to  the  One 
Mighty  and  Strong  "may  also  be  considered  as  having  passed 
away,  and  the  whole  incident  of  the  prophecy  closed";  but 
if  there  still  shall  be  those  who  believe  it  was  yet  to  be 
fulfilled,  let  them  remember  the  person  to  come  would  be  a 
Bishop,  and  he  would  be  designated  by  the  heads  of  the 
church  and  called  and  ordained  thru  them.  The  writer  of 
these  lines  asks  the  question,  how  can  it  have  a  future  fulfill- 
ment, if  one  of  the  two  personages  of  the  prophecy  (he  who 
was  called  and  appointed)  has,  as  the  article  claims,  passed 
away? 

A  certain  Bishop  of  Salt  Lake  City,  whose  name  is  with- 
held, was  asked  some  time  ago  to  state  his  beliefs  concern- 
ing the  fulfillment  of  the  revelation  in  question.  He  replied 
that  he  expected  to  see  a  future  bishop  fulfill  the  prophecy. 
His  testimony  is  only  one  of  many  who  have  not  accepted 
the  Church  Epistle,  which  would  make,  null  and  void  the 
revelation  in  question. 

If  this  1905  Epistle  is  to  be  forced  blindly  upon  us  as  our 
guide,  which  would  tie  the  hands  of  God,  annul  prophecy,  and 
invest  more  power  and  authority  in  a  Bishop  than  has  been 
exercised  since  the  days  of  Christ,  then  we  must  abandon 

43 


truth  and  intelligence  and  blindly  accept  a  doctrine  which 
is  contrary  to  the  Word  of  God,  having  no  reasonable  quali- 
ties nor  foundation.  But  this  course  brings  the  individual 
face  to  face  with  the  Word  of  God,  which  says : 

"Thus  saith  the  Lord  God;  I  will  give  unto  the  children 
of  men  line  upon  line,  precept  upon  precept,  here  a  little  and 
there  a  little;  and  blessed  are  those  who  hearken  unto  my 
precepts,  and  lend  an  ear  unto  my  counsel,  for  they  shall 
learn  wisdom;  for  unto  him  that  receiveth,  I  will  give  more; 
and  from  them  that  shall  say,  We  have  enough,  from  them 
shall  be  taken  away  even  that  which  they  have.  Cursed  is 
he  that  putteth  his  trust  in  man,  or  maketh  flesh  his  arm,  or 
shall  hearken  unto  the  precepts  of  men,  save  their  precepts 
shall  be  given  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  II  Nephi 
28:30-31. 

If  we  stop  to  consider  the  statements  of  our  President, 
Joseph  F.  Smith,  as  given  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  in  1905,  and 
in  California  in  1917,  in  answer  to  direct  questions,  that  he 
had  not  received  any  revelations,  it  will  readily  be  seen  that 
there  have  been  no  changes  made  in  our  prophecies;  hence 
we  must  accept  them  as  they  are  recorded. 

We  have  quoted  the  words  of  President  Penrose  to  repre- 
sent in  part  one  side  of  this  controversy;  it  is  no  more  than 
justice  to  the  reader  that  the  writer  also  quote  the  words 
of  the  Apostle  Orson  Pratt,  one  who  lived  in  the  days  of 
Joseph  Smith  and  stood  foremost  among  his  Brethren  on 
doctrine.  He  also  had  the  honor  of  dividing  into  verses  with 
references  and  footnotes  the  entire  Book  of  Mormon  and 
Doctrine  and  Covenants.  These  facts  speak  for  themselves 
as  to  his  ability.  This  apostle  saw  fit  to  place  a  footnote 
under  the  revelation  pertaining  to  the  "One  Mighty  and 
Strong"  which  reads  as  follows : 

"A  future  messenger  promised."  If  this  footnote  is  known 
to  be  in  error,  then  why  is  it  not  removed  from  the  Book  of 
Revelations?  Again,  if  Orson  Pratt  ever  said  or  believed 
that  Edward  Partridge  was  the  one  referred  to  in  this 
prophecy,  then  why  did  he  not  say  so  in  his  footnote? 

44 


It  is  well  to  mention  here  that  the  1905  Epistle  states  that 
Orson  Pratt  "publicly  declared,  from  the  pulpit,  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  about  the  time  of  the  death  of  President  Brigham 
Young,  that  the  man  referred  to  in  the  passage  of  the  rev- 
elation in  question,  was  Bishop  Partridge";  however,  the 
authorities  failed  to  cite  any  references  to  substantiate  the 
statement  wherein  they  claim  that  this  apostle  boldly  con- 
tradicted his  footnote  and  future  sermons,  although  they  are 
in  possession  of  all  church  minutes  and  records. 

To  further  verify  and  confirm  his  strong  convictions  as 
expressed  in  his  footnote,  we  quote  in  brief  the  vital  por- 
tions of  one  of  his  sermons  on  this  question,  which  was 
delivered  more  than  two  years  after  Brigham  Young's  death, 
which  will  speak  for  itself  as  to  his  firm  understanding  on 
this  question: 

"Indeed,  before  we  can  go  back  to  inherit  the  land  in  all 
its  fullness  and  perfection,  God  has  promised  that  He 
would  raise  up  a  man  like  unto  Moses.  .  .  .  Yes,  God 
will  assuredly  raise  up  a  man  like  unto  Moses,  and  redeem 
His  people  with  an  outstretched  arm,  as  the  fathers  were 
redeemed  at  the  first.  .  .  .  This  you  will  find  recorded 
in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  in  the  same  book  it  is 
predicted  that  there  is  to  be  'One  Mighty  and  Strong'  as  well 
as  to  be  an  immortal  personage.  One  that  is  clothed  upon 
with  light  as  with  a  garment,  one  whose  bowels  are  a  foun- 
tain of  truth.  His  mission  will  be  to  divide  by  lot  to  the 
Saints  their  inheritance,  according  to  their  faithfulness  in 
their  stewardship."  (Page  150-4,  Journal  of  Discourses, 
November  1st,  1879;  Vol.  21,  1881.  For  more  complete  quo- 
tation see  pages  108-10  herein.)  If  Orson  Pratt  expected 
the  Mighty  and  Strong  One  to  come  even  later  than  thirty- 
eight  years  after  the  death  of  Edward  Partridge,  then  how 
could  he  be  the  one  referred  to  in  the  revelation? 

In  summing  up  the  argument  as  presented  in  the  1905 
Epistle  ,the  height  of  its  inconsistency  will  be  seen  when  one 
realizes  that  Edward  Partridge  was  only  a  Bishop,  and  could 
have  been  easily  removed  by  the  General  Authorities  at  their 

45 


own  pleasure;  hence  why  the  necessity  of  sending  this  great 
and  Mighty  special  prophet  to  do  the  work  they  held  author- 
ity to  do?  Furthermore,  there  have  been  previous  examples 
where  men  who  held  far  greater  authority,  even  that  of  one 
of  the  First  Presidency,  were  threatened,  by  revelation,  to 
•be  removed;  but  we  find  no  reference  of  sending  a  Mighty 
and  Strong  One  to  do  the  work  of  removing.  If  one  of  the 
Presidents  could  be  removed  by  the  Presidency,  then  why 
not  a  bishop?  (The  revelation  referring  to  Sidney  Rigdon 
is  especially  referred  to;  D.  C.  63:  55-56.) 

The  whole  substance  of  the  revelation  of  the  85th  section 
conveys  the  thought  that  its  fulfillment  was  to  be  in  a  future 
day,  and  would  be  of  greater  magnitude  than  the  removal  of 
a  bishop  and  would  affect  the  entire  church  at  the  time  of 
setting  it  in  order  and  also  the  redemption  of  Zion. 

Before  concluding  this  subject,  the  writer  desires  to  refer 
to  the  doctrine  of  recent  date,  as  presented  by  President 
Penrose,  of  the  First  quorum,  and  that  of  President  Joseph 
E.  Robinson,  of  the  California  Mission,  in  order  that  the 
reader  may  more  fully  realize  the  effort  that  is  being  made 
to  cast  aside  all  evidence  pertaining  to  the  mission  of  these 
certain  future  prophets;  and  the  censorship  that  is  being 
placed  upon  speaking  of  them. 

It  was  at  the  Sunday  noon  services  on  August  19,  1917, 
in  Long  Beach,  Calif.,  that  President  Robinson  attacked  the 
doctrine  of  Paul  being  called  and  ordained  toy  the  Lord, 
thru  direct  revelation,  to  the  office  of  apostleship.  He  stated, 
"Paul  was  not  ordained  to  the  apostleship  by  the  Lord."  He 
also  censured  those  who  had  previously  cited,  in  class,  the 
statement  of  Paul  wherein  he  claimed  to  be  ordained  by 
direct  revelation,  "not  of  men,  neither  by  man,"  (Gal.  1:1) 
as  meaning  that  Peter  had  nothing  to  do  with  his  high  ordina- 
tion. As  evidence,  he  cited  the  fact  that  he,  himself,  held 
the  High  Priesthood,  but  not  of  men.  But  our  President 
failed  to  tell  us  that  he  was  given  this  Priesthood  by  and 
thru  men,  for  the  reason  that  he  was  ordained  under  the 
hands  of  a  mortal  man.  We  all  fully  appreciate  the  fact 

46 


that  his  Priesthood  was  of  God;  but  it  was,  nevertheless, 
handed  down  by  and  thru  men.  However,  Paul  denies  this 
latter  portion,  therefore  he  must  have  been  ordained  by 
some  one  other  than  mortal  man.  (For  ordination  of  Paul 
see  pages  102-5  herein.)  If  the  Lord  found  reasans  to  call 
Paul  for  a  special  mission  in  his  day,  can  He  not  do  likewise 
in  the  Latter  Day? 

President  Robinson  also  cited  the  scriptures  referring  to 
the  prophets  who  will  be  with  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  when 
they  return;  and  stated  that  we  have  but  little  scripture 
pertaining  to  them,  or  their  location.  He  remarked  that  the 
poem  written  by  Eliza  Snow  (the  wife  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith)  stating  that  they  went  to  the  Northern  portion  of  this 
earth  and  that  it  was  severed  in  order  to  provide  an  Orb  on 
which  to  dwell  (see  page  165),  "may  or  may  not  be  true." 
In  regard  to  their  prophets,  he  added  that  "We  have  women 
prophets,  and  often  times  poets  are  prophets  in  disguise, 
but  anyway  their  prophets"  (of  the  Lost  Tribes)  "would  not 
hold  the  High  Priesthood  when  they  come."  (How  does  the 
President  know  this?) 

The  writer  desires  to  suggest,  is  it  not  strange  that  John 
the  Revelator  failed  to  bestow  the  Melchisedek  Priesthood 
upon  them  at  the  time  when  he  was  laboring  among  them  in 
1831,  (according  to  Joseph  Smith's  prophecies)?  Why 
should  the  High  Priesthood  be  given  to  the  Gentiles,  thru 
Joseph,  and  only  the  lesser  Priesthood  given  to  the  pure 
blood  of  Israel?  The  President  also  cited  a  reve- 
lation showing  that  all  men  must  come  in  at  the  gate  and  be 
ordained  before  they  are  able  to  participate  in  the  Priest- 
hood. He  then  drew  the  inference  that  this  necessitated  the 
coming  of  all  future  prophets  thru  their  ordination;  but  he 
did  not  tell  us  that  practically  all  the  Prophets  referred  to  in 
the  scriptures  as  having  a  future  mission,  have  already  come 
in  at  the  gate  many  years  ago,  and  have  been  ordained  and 
set  apart  for  this  future  work.  He  continued  by  saying  that 
"whoso  says  that  a  Mighty  and  Strong  is  to  come  has  no  place 
among  us."  He  added  later,  "BUT  if  he  ever  comes  he  will 

47 


be  ordained  thru  the  authorities  of  the  church."  The  writer 
wishes  to  ask,  if  those  who  now  believe  in  these  scriptures 
are  not  wanted  or  desired  in  the  presence  of  the  leading 
Brethren,  then  will  they  welcome  these  believers  in  that  day 
when  these  scriptures  are  fulfilled.  If  so,  why  not  now? 
Again,  if  our  beloved  Brethren  are  so  sure  of  their  course, 
as  indicated  by  their  words,  then  why  do  they  all  insert  the 
word  "but"? 

President  Penrose  then  took  the  stand  and  continued  the 
attack  on  those  who  advocate  the  fulfillment  of  these  certain 
scriptures.  He  remarked  that  "some  go  off  on  the  tangent 
of  the  Mighty  and  Strong  One,  others  the  Elias,  but  it  is  the 
spirit  of  Lucifer  which  prompts  them  all.  .  .  .  The  idea 
that  John  the  Revelator  is  the  Elias  who  is  to  come  and 
restore  all  things  is  false,  and  the  sooner  you  get  that  notion 
out  of  your  heads  the  better.  John  the  Revelator  is  not  to 
come  in  the  flesh  to  labor  among  us."  (See  chapter  five  for 
quotations  wherein  the  Lord  says  that  he  is  to  come  and 
labor  among  us.)  "The  scripture  tells  us  who  Elias 
the  restorer  is — John  the  Baptist,  not  John  the  Reve- 
lator. It  is  true  that  Christ  said  search  the  scriptures,  but 
he  had  reference  to  the  Pharisees  on  that  occasion. 
We  should  not  hang  on  the  scriptures,  for  the  letter  killeth 
but  the  spirit  giveth  light;  we  have  the  living  oracles  of  God 
to  go  to;  they  are  the  end  of  all  controversy."  The  writer 
here  inserts  one  of  the  revelations  pertaining  to  John  the 
Revelator  in  order  that  the  reader  may  judge  for  himself. 

"What  are  we  to  understand  by  the  little  book  which  was 
eaten  by  John,  as  mentioned  in  the  10th  chapter  of  Revela- 
tions? We  are  to  understand  that  it  was  a  mission,  and  an 
ordinance,  for  him  to  gather  the  tribes  of  Israel;  behold,  this 
is  Elias;  who,  as  it  is  written,  must  come  and  restore  all 
things."  D.  C.  77:14.  Comp.,  p.  281.  Elias. 

If  President  Penrose  felt  that  it  was  right  to  quote  the 
scripture  to  prove  his  point,  then  why  cannot  others  do  like- 
wise? It  is  also  well  to  note  that  the  reference  as  cited  by 
President  Penrose  (the  27th  section  of  D.  &  C.)  fails  to  give 

48 


the  slightest  hint  that  John  the  Baptist  was  to  be  the  Ellas 
who  is  to  restore  all  things.  It  only  states  that  there  was  an 
Elias  who  has  been  given  the  keys  of  restoring  all  things, 
who  visited  Zecharias  and  promised  him  that  he  would  have 
a  son  who  would  be  filled  with  the  spirit  of  Elias.  (See 
pages  92-3  for  identification  of  this  Elias.) 

The  scriptures  tell  us  that  John  the  Baptist  denied  he  was 
the  Elias,  meaning,  of  course,  the  one  who  was  to  come  and 
restore  all  things.  Note  the  following:  "And  they  asked 
him,  What  then?  Art  thou  Elias?  And  he  said,  I  am  not. 
Art  thou  that  prophet?  And  he  answered,  No."  (John 
1:21.)  A  more  complete  statement  is  given  in  Matthew,  as 
follows : 

"And  his  disciples  asked  him,  saying,  Why  then  say  the 
Scribes  that  Elias  must  first  come?  And  Jesus  answered  and 
said  unto  them,  Elias  truly  shall  first  come,  and  restore  all 
things,  as  the  prophets  have  written.  And  again  I  say  unto 
you  that  Elias  has  come  already,  concerning  whom  it  is  writ- 
ten, Behold,  I  will  send  my  messenger,  and  he  shall  prepare 
the  way  before  me;  and  they  knew  him  not,  and  have  done 
unto  him,  whatsoever  they  listed.  Likewise  shall  the  Son  of 
Man  suffer  of  them.  But  I  say  unto  you,  Who  is  Elias?  Be- 
hold, this  is  Elias,  whom  I  sent  to  prepare  the  way  before 
me.  Then  the  disciples  understood  that  he  spake  unto  them 
of  John  the  Baptist,  and  also  of  another  who  should  come 
and  restore  all  things,  as  it  is  written  by  the  prophets." 
Matt.  17:9-14,  Inspired  Translation. 

In  concluding  this  subject,  and  reviewing  all  that  has  been 
said,  it  appears  to  the  writer  that  one  is  forced  to  admit  that 
the  1905  Epistle  was  published  and  put  in  force  in  order  to 
cover  up  the  fact  that  the  House  of  God  is  out  of  order.  It 
is  very  evident  that  those  who  sent  it  out  as  authoritative 
Church  doctrine  were  not  familiar  with  the  language  of  the 
revelation.  These  statements  are  truly  made  with  all  due 
love  and  respect  to  the  entire  body  of  the  church,  but  truth 
is  truth,  and  who  can  deny  it?  If  we  undertake  to  hide  our 
sins  and  future  judgments,  we  only  add  sin  to  sin. 

49 


As  to  who  this  Mighty  and  Strong  One  will  be,  no  attempt 
will  be  made  to  establish  his  identity  beyond  the  fact  that 
he  will  be  greater  than  any  mortal  bishop,  and  will  stand  at 
the  head  as  a  Moses.  It  can  be  safely  said,  however,  that 
Elijah  or  John  the  Revelator,  could  fill  the  position  and 
fulfil  every  prophecy.  (See  Chapter  IV  on  "The  Branch" 
for  past  and  future  mission  of  Elijah.) 

The  writer  feels  that  sufficient  evidence  has  been  cited  to 
prove  that  the  mission  of  the  Mighty  and  Strong  One  is  a 
future  reality;  attention  is  now  called  to  that  portion  of  his 
mission  as  referred  to  in  the  28th  chapter  of  Isaiah,  wherein 
the  future  judgments  against  the  Latter  Day  Saints  are  por- 
trayed in  language  so  plain  that  we  can  neither  deny  nor 
ignore  them. 

CHAPTER   III. 

THE    DRUNKARDS    OF    EPHRAIM 
The  28th  Chapter  of  Isaiah 

Jesus  the  Christ  has  said:  "Great  are  the  words  of  Isaiah. 
For  surely  he  spake  as  touching  all  things  concerning  my 
people  which  are  of  the  house  of  Israel;  therefore,  it  must 
needs  be  that  he  must  speak  also  to  the  Gentiles."  Ill  Nephi 
23:1-2.  (Ill  Nephi  20:10-13.) 

Adjoining  that  beautiful  chapter  from  the  great  Prophet 
Isaiah  which  portrays  the  coming  forth  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
man,  we  find  a  keen  and  cutting  judgment  pronounced 
against  a  certain  class  of  people  whom  he  calls  the  "Drunk- 
ards of  Ephraim" — their  judgment  to  come  forth  thru  and 
under  the  hands  of  a  prophet  called  "A  MIGHTY  AND 
STRONG  ONE,"  who  is  to  fulfil  a  mission  that  is  identical 
in  its  nature  with  that  certain  prophet  who  is  to  come  forth 
bearing  a  title  "ONE  MIGHTY  AND  STRONG,"  among  the 
Latter  Day  Saints  at  the  time  of  their  final  gathering  and 
redemption  of  Zion,  as  outlined  in  the  preceding  chapter. 
Hence,  on  account  of  these  striking  similarities,  an  investiga- 
tion is  being  made  today  by  many  honest  thinkers  in  order 

50 


to  ascertain  if  these  judgments  also  apply  unto  the  Latter 
Day  Saints,  along  with  the  blessings  of  the  adjoining  chapter, 
which,  after  all,  is  only  a  division  made  by  the  translators. 

The  29th  chapter  is  acknowledged  by  the  entire  Church  to 
refer  to  the  Latter  Day  Saints,  and  many  have  likewise 
acknowledged  the  28th,  but,  in  order  to  arrive  at  a  just  con- 
clusion, the  reader  is  requested  to  keep  in  mind  the  details  of 
the  preceding  chapter,  and  the  85th  Section  of  D.  &  C.,  per- 
taining to  the  "One  Mighty  and  Strong,"  and  compare  them 
with  those  of  the  "Mighty  and  Strong  One"  of  Isaiah.  He 
is  also  requested  to  prepare  his  mind  for  appalling  state- 
ments, as  advancement  is  made  from  verse  to  verse,  and  com- 
parison of  acts,  covenants  and  events  as  found  among  the 
leaders  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  with  those  as  described  in 
the  28th  Chapter  of  Isaiah  concerning  the  Drunkards  of 
Ephraim.  He  should  also  withhold  his  decision  until  the  end 
of  evidence  is  reached,  as  will  be  briefly  sketched. 

The  writer  published,  in  1915,  a  book  entitled  "The  Return 
of  John  the  Revelator  and  Gathering  of  Israel  From  a  Scrip- 
ture Standpoint."  In  that  publication  the  question  of  who 
are  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim  was  briefly  outlined.  To  the 
writer's  surprise,  he  has  since  been  informed  that  a  portion 
of  the  28th  Chapter  of  Isaiah  was  also  covered  in  a  book 
entitled  "The  Lost  Records,"  by  John  T.  Clark,  a  Latter  Day 
Saint.  However,  that  portion  pertaining  to  his  personality 
connected  with  the  coming  forth  of  certain  records  as  con- 
tained in  Elder  Clark's  book  is  in  no  way,  shape  or  form 
upheld  by  the  writer  of  these  lines;  but  his  application  as 
to  who  are  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim  and  the  covenant 
which  they  have  entered  into  is  no  doubt  the  only  Scriptural 
answer  to  the  prophecy.  This  coincidence,  in  connection 
with  similar  testimonies  of  many  others  who  have  since  advo- 
cated the  same,  only  adds  evidence  and  interest  to  the 
present  chapter. 

We  now  turn  to  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah,  as  found  in  the 
28th  Chapter,  and,  at  the  first  reading,  observe  that  they 
cover  nothing  less  than  Divine  interference  with  that  cer- 

51 


tain  portion  of  the  House  of  Israel  who  have  become  spiritu- 
ally drunk  thru  their  own  pride,  and  have  erred  in  vision 
and  stumbled  in  judgment,  and  have  made  a  covenant  with 
their  persecutors,  which  covenant  the  Lord  says  did  not  come 
from  Him. 

The  language  of  Isaiah  sets  forth  that  it  is  the  leaders  of 
this  certain  people,  to  a  great  extent,  who  are  especially 
censured  and  called  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim.  (28:14.) 
One  of  the  peculiar  facts  pertaining  to  that  certain  portion 
of  the  leaders  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  is  that  they  are  using 
every  effort  to  bury  this  prophecy  along  with  all  others  per- 
taining to  judgment  against  themselves,  and  have  placed  a 
strong  censorship  on  speaking  of  them.  It  would  appear 
that,  if  they  could  free  themselves  from  these  pronounced 
judgments,  they  would  produce  their  strong  reasons  and 
avoid  the  suspicious  course  by  being  so  sensitive  toward 
them.  They  boldly  proclaim  from  the  pulpit  the  equivalent 
that  God  has  not  the  lawful  right  to  interfere  with  their  plans 
by  sending  a  prophet  to  the  Saints  unless  he  is  set  apart  and 
ordained  by  and  thru  them,  for  they  claim  that  this  is  the 
gate  that  every  future  apostle  or  prophet  must  pass  thru. 
This  course,  no  doubt  would  insure  their  safety,  which  they 
are  seeking,  and  worldly  guarding,  but  God  has  wisely  and 
justly  reserved  the  right  to  speak,  act  and  lead  the  honest  in 
heart,  including  His  humble  Saints,  by  and  thru  His  chosen 
prophets,  whom  He  has  previously  brought  thru  the  gate, 
ordained  and  set  apart  to  complete  their  mission  at  the  time 
of  the  restoration  of  all  things.  This  future  and  rightful 
reservation  for  this  particular  time  for  other  prophets  to  be 
sent  forth  from  Heaven  was  given  in  a  revelation  from  the 
Lord  which  immediately  followed  the  one  pertaining  to  the 
coming  of  the  "One  Mighty  and  Strong,"  as  follows: 

"Thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  you,  with  whom  the  Priesthood 
hath  continued  through  the  lineage  of  your  fathers.  For  ye 
are  lawful  heirs,  according  to  the  flesh,  and  have  been  hid 
from  the  world  with  Christ  in  God;  therefore,  your  life  and 
the  Priesthood  hath  remained  and  must  needs  remain  through 

52 


you  and  your  lineage  UNTIL  the  restoration  of  all  things 
spoken  by  the  mouths  of  all  the  holy  prophets  since  the 
world  began."  D.  C.  86 :8-10. 

If  we  contemplate  the  many  things  that  are  yet  to  be 
restored  by  and  thru  special  prophets  at  the  time  of  the  res- 
toration of  all  things,  and  accept  the  Word  of  God  for  our 
guide,  and  cursed  is  our  lot  if  we  fail  to  do  so  (Gal.  1:8), 
then  this  all  important  question  is  forever  settled,  and  we  can 
rightly  look  for  and  express  our  honest  thoughts  as  to  the 
Priesthood  rights  and  authority  which  these  certain  future 
prophets  will  possess  when  they  return.  Furthermore,  we 
have  many  prophecies  recorded  which  speak  of  the  future 
judgments  pronounced  against  the  wicked  among  our  people. 
Brief  quotations  are  cited : 

"Behold,  vengeance  cometh  speedily  upon  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth,  a  day  of  wrath,  a  day  of  burning,  a  day  of  deso- 
lation, of  weeping,  of  mourning,  and  of  lamentation,  and 
as  a  whirlwind  it  shall  come  upon  all  the  face  of  the  earth, 
saith  the  Lord,  and  upon  my  house  shall  it  begin,  and 
from  my  house  shall  it  go  forth,  saith  the  Lord.  First 
among  those  among  you,  saith  the  Lord,  who  have  professed 
to  know  my  name  and  have  not  known  me,  and  have  blas- 
phemed against  me  in  the  midst  of  my  house,  saith  the  Lord." 
D.  C.  112:24-26. 

"For  behold,  and  lo,  vengeance  cometh  speedily  upon  the 
ungodly  as  the  whirlwind,  and  who  shall  escape  it;  the  Lord's 
scourge  shall  pass  over  by  night  and  by  day,  and  the  report 
thereof  shall  vex  all  people;  yet  it  shall  not  be  stayed  until 
the  Lord  come;  for  the  indignation  of  the  Lord  is  kindled 
against  their  abominations  and  all  their  wicked  works;  nev- 
ertheless Zion  shall  escape  if  she  observe  to  do  all  things 
whatsoever  I  have  commanded  her,  but  if  she  observe  not  to 
do  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  her,  I  will  visit  her  accord- 
ing to  all  her  works,  with  sore  affliction,  with  pestilence,  with 
plague,  with  sword,  with  vengeance,  and  devouring  fire." 

D.  C.  97:22-26. 

Our  Priesthood  callings  are  indeed  desirable  blessings,  but 

53 


the  day  of  choosing  will  soon  be  upon  us.  The  Lord  has 
said: 

"Behold,  there  are  many  -called,  but  few  are  chosen.  And 
why  are  they  not  chosen?  Because  their  hearts  are  set  so 
much  upon  the  things  of  this  world,  and  aspire  to  the 
honors  of  men,  that  they  do  not  learn  this  one  lesson — that 
the  rights  of  the  Priesthood  are  inseparably  connected  with 
the  Powers  of  Heaven,  and  that  the  Powers  of  Heaven  can- 
not be  controlled,  nor  handled,  only  upon  the  principles  of 
righteousness.  That  they  may  be  conferred  upon  us,  it  is 
true,  but  when  we  undertake  to  cover  our  sins,  or  to  gratify 
our  pride,  our  vain  ambition,  or  to  exercise  control,  or 
dominion,  or  compulsion  upon  the  souls  of  the  children  of 
men,  in  any  degree  of  unrighteousness,  Behold,  the  Heavens 
withdraw  themselves,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  grieved;  and, 
when  it  is  withdrawn,  Amen  to  the  Priesthood  or  the  author- 
ity of  that  man.  .  .  .  We  have  learned,  by  sad  experi- 
ence, that  it  is  the  nature  and  disposition  of  almost  all  men, 
as  soon  as  they  get  a  little  authority,  as  they  suppose,  they 
will  immediately  begin  to  exercise  unrighteous  dominion. 
Hence — Many  are  called  but  few  are  chosen."  D.  C.  121 :34- 
40.  (95:5.) 

It  is  no  more  than  human  nature  for  us  to  deny  the  fact 
that  we  have  become  worldly,  but  prophecy  points  to  our 
daily  acts  and  deeds  too  plainly  to  deny.  The  Prophet  Nephi 
has  indeed  pictured  our  actual  position.  His  prophecy  has 
been  previous  quoted  (p.  — ) ,  but  it  is  of  such  high  import- 
ance that  a  portion  is  again  cited.  After  referring  to  the 
wicked  condition  of  the  churches  of  the  world,  he  then  imme- 
diately refers  to  those  of  Zion,  as  follows : 

"And  others  will  he"  (Lucifer)  "pacify,  and  lull  them 
away  into  carnal  security,  that  they  will  say,  'All  is  well  in 
Zion;  yea,  Zion  prospereth;  all  is  well/  and  thus  the  devil 
cheateth  their  souls,  and  leadeth  them  away  carefully  down 
to  hell.  .  .  .  Therefore,  woe  be  unto  him  that  is  at  ease 
in  Zion.  Woe  be  unto  him  that  crieth,  'All  is  well.'  "  II 
Nephi  28:21,  24-25.  (II  Nephi  27:1-3.) 

54 


The  reader  will  realize  the  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy 
when  he  considers  that  the  Mormon  people  are  of  Zion,  and 
that  one  of  our  present  Apostles  has  repeated  the  very  words 
of  Nephi  in  a  sermon  on  "Prosperity,"  and  that  our  Presi- 
dent, after  citing  the  prosperous  condition  of  the  Saints, 
uttered  with  emphasis,  at  the  October  conference  of  1902, 
the  following: 

"We  feel  in  our  hearts  that  Zion  is  prospering,  and  all  is 
well  with  the  people  of  God."  The  President's  remarks  were 
reproduced,  with  sanction,  by  the  following  speaker — the 
President  of  the  California  Mission.  Furthermore,  these 
same  expressions  are  incorporated  today  in  our  songs  and 
speech  throughout  the  entire  church  (Hymn  153),  while  our 
trust  in  carnal  security  is  growing  daily  to  such  an  extent 
that  articles  are  appearing  in  popular  magazines  comparing 
us  with  the  greatest  money  trust  in  the  world. 

These  facts,  in  conjunction  with  the  fact  that  many  of  our 
leaders  are  sinking  themselves  into  business  and  placing  the 
security  of  the  Church  in  the  financial  world,  by  investing 
her  tithing  funds  therein,  to  such  an  extent  that  they  have 
but  little  time  to  explain  or  discuss  things  pertaining  to 
prophecies,  and  have  turned  the  Church  into  a  business  cor- 
poration, will  show  that  we,  as  a  people,  are  drunk  with 
pride  and  carnal  security. 

Quotations  from  Isaiah  are  now  presented  with  their  strik- 
ing fulfillment  as  found  among  the  Latter  Day  Saints : 

"Woe  to  the  crown  of  pride,  to  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim, 
whose  glorious  beauty  is  a  fading  flower,  which  are  on  the 
head  of  the  fat  valleys  of  them  that  are  overcome  with  wine ! 
Behold,  the  Lord  hath  a  Mighty  and  Strong  One,  which  as  a 
tempest  of  hail  and  a  destroying  storm,  as  a  flood  of  mighty 
waters  overflowing,  shall  cast  down  to  the  earth  with  the 
hand.  The  crown  of  pride,  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim,  shall 
be  trodden  under  foot.  And  the  glorious  beauty,  which  is 
on  the  head  of  the  fat  valley,  shall  be  a  fading  flower,  and 
as  the  hasty  fruit  before  the  summer,  which  when  he  that 
looketh  upon  it  seeth,  while  it  is  yet  in  his  hand  he  eateth 

55 


it  up.  In  that  day  shall  the  Lord  of  Hosts  be  for  a  crown 
of  glory,  and  for  a  diadem  of  beauty,  unto  the  residue  of  his 
people,  And  for  a  spirit  of  judgment  to  him  that  sitteth  in 
judgment,  and  for  strength  to  them  that  turn  the  battle  to 
the  gate."  Isa.  28:1-6.  (62:1-3.) 

There  is  no  question  involved  as  to  the  Latter  Day  Saints 
being  of  Ephraim;  ample  evidence  has  been  presented  in 
Chapter  I  to  show  that  we  are  of  Ephraim  and  are  numbered 
with  them  in  this  land  of  their  inheritance.  This  principle  not 
only  holds  good  with  many  of  our  people  who  have  a  portion 
of  Ephraim  blood,  but  it  also  includes  the  pure  Gentiles  who 
possess  no  portion  of  the  natural  blood  of  Israel,  for  the 
reason  that  as  soon  as  they  embrace  the  Restored  Gospel  and 
receive  the  Holy  Ghost,  their  blood  is  changed  to  that  of 
Israel  #nd  they  are  numbered  with  Ephraim,  and  this  land 
becomes  the  land  of  their  future  inheritance.  (See  Chapter 
No.  1.)  The  "fat  valleys"  are  indeed  self-explanatory.  The 
world  fully  appreciates  that  the  Mormon  people  have  built 
up  a  rich  commonwealth  in  and  among  the  "fat  valleys"  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  Furthermore,  they  are  the  only  peo- 
ple unto  whom  a  prophet  has  been  promised,  thru  prophecy, 
who  is  to  bear  the  title  "One  Mighty  and  Strong,"  and  who 
is  to  bring  about  appalling  judgments  and  divine  interfer- 
ence by  setting  the  House  of  God  in  order,  divide  the  inher- 
itances of  the  Saints  in  Zion,  and  cut  off  the  hypocrites  prior 
to  the  coming  of  Christ. 

As  to  our  people  being  puffed  up  in  pride  and  overcome 
with  wine  (Spiritual  Drunkenness,  see  Isa.  29:9);  we  need 
only  to  consider  their  daily  acts  and  decisions  on  doctrine, 
as  briefly  set  forth  in  this  book,  to  prove  that  they  have 
become  spiritually  drunk  on  self-pride  and  self-authority, 
and  are  stumbling  in  judgment.  They  do  not  hesitate  to 
proclaim  that  they  are  going  to  complete  this  great  work 
and  no  other  prophets  are  to  come  unless  they  receive  their 
ordination  thru  their  hands.  Furthermore,  if  one  honestly 
and  politely  differs  with  them,  they  proceed  to  cut  him  off 
or  inform  him  that  he  has  made  himself  undesirable;  then 

56 


they  proceed  to  inform  the  Saints  that  the  individual  is  led 
by  the  spirit  of  Lucifer.  Strange  to  say,  however,  they  have 
no  desire  to  practice  the  same  principles  that  they  teach, 
namely,  to  the  law  and  testimony.  They  do  not  hesitate  to 
place  their  private  interpretation  upon  the  Scriptures  when 
they  are  not  favorable,  including  those  which  indicate  that 
other  prophets  are  to  come  holding  authority  obtained  else- 
where. Their  course  has  become  so  foreign  to  the  principles 
of  religious  freedom,  as  taught  in  the  Scriptures,  that  they 
have  indeed  qualified  themselves,  as  Isaiah  declares,  as  "The 
Drunkards  of  Ephraim." 

In  the  days  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  the  glory  con- 
nected with  the  future  redemption  of  Zion  was  the  center  of 
anticipation.  Today  this  thought  has  practically  passed 
away  with  many,  and  Utah  is  held  up  before  the  Saints  to 
take  its  place  and  is  referred  to  as  Zion;  but,  as  Isaiah 
declares,  the  glory  of  the  fat  valleys  will  fade  away  when 
the  Mighty  and  Strong  One  comes  to  establish  Zion  in  her 
glory. 

There  is  to  be  a  remnant  or  residue  left  of  the  Saints  after 
the  Lord's  scourges  have  passed  thru,  and  His  spirit  will  be 
for  strength  and  judgment  and  for  a  crown  of  glory  to  those 
who  settle  this  battle  of  controversy  at  the  gate  between  the 
ways  of  man  and  of  God  by  choosing  the  latter.  This  thought 
is  further  borne  out  in  the  following  revelation : 

"For  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  the  inhabitants  of  Zion  shall 
judge  all  things  pertaining  to  Zion;  and  liars  and  hypocrites 
shall  be  proved  by  them,  and  they  who  are  not  apostles  and 
prophets  shall  be  known.  And  even  the  bishop,  who  is  a 
judge,  and  his  counselors,  if  they  are  not  faithful  in  their 
stewardships,  shall  be  condemned,  and  others  shall  be  planted 
in  their  stead;  For,  behold,  I  say  unto  you  that  Zion  shall 
flourish,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  upon  her;  and 
she  shall  be  an  ensign  unto  the  people,  and  there  shall  come 
unto  her  out  of  every  nation  under  heaven.  And  the  day 
shall  come  when  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  tremble 
because  of  her,  and  shall  fear  because  of  her  terrible  ones. 

57 


The  Lord  has  spoken  it."     D.  C.  64 :38-43. 

The  4th  Chapter  of  Isaiah  also  speaks  of  the  sifting  of  the 
Saints,  as  follows: 

"And  in  that  day  seven  women  shall  take  hold  of  one 
man"  (evidently  on  account  of  wars),  "saying,  'We  will  eat 
our  own  bread,  and  wear  our  own  apparel:  only  let  us  be 
called  by  thy  name,  to  take  away  our  reproach.'  In  that 
day  shall  the  branch  of  the  Lord"  (see  Division  on  Branch) 
"be  beautiful  and  glorious,  and  the  fruit  of  the  earth  shall 
be  excellent  and  comely  for  them  that  are  escaped  of  Israel. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  he  that  is  left  in  Zion,  and  he 
that  remaineth  in  Jerusalem,  shall  be  called  Holy,  even  every 
one  that  is  written  among  the  living  in  Jerusalem.  When 
the  Lord  shall  have  washed  away  the  filth  of  the  daughters  of 
Zion,  and  shall  have  purged  the  blood  of  Jerusalem  from  the 
midst  thereof  by  the  spirit  of  Judgment,  and  by  the  spirit  of 
burning.  And  the  Lord  will  create  upon  every  dwelling 
place  of  Mount  Zion  and  upon  her  assemblies,  a  cloud  and 
smoke  by  day  and  the  shining  of  a  flaming  fire  by  night;  for 
upon  all  the  glory  shall  be  a  defense.  And  there  shall  be  a 
tabernacle  .  .  for  a  place  of  refuge,  and  for  a  covert 

from  storm  and  from  rain."  Isa.  4  :l-6. 

As  to  the  location  of  Mount  Zion  and  the  cloud  of  Glory, 
we  are  informed  in  the  85th  section  of  D.  &  C.  that  it  will 
be  at  Independence,  Missouri,  and  that  a  cloud  of  Glory  will 
overshadow  the  great  Temple  of  the  New  Jerusalem  which  is 
to  be  built  up  at  that  place;  and,  within  the  generation  ot 
1832.  (D.  C.  84:2-5.)  In  regard  to  the  remnant  that  is 
to  be  left,  the  Lord  has  said : 

"And  that  I  may  visit  them  in  the  day  of  visitation,  when 
I  shall  unveil  the  face  of  my  covering,  to  appoint  the  portion 
of  the  oppressor  among  hypocrites,  where  there  is  gnash- 
ing of  teeth,  if  they  reject  my  servants  and  my  testimony. 
And  again  I  will  visit  and  soften  their  hearts  .  .  . 
that  they  may  come  to  the  light  of  truth,  and  the  Gentiles  to 
the  exaltation  or  lifting  up  of  Zion.  For  the  day  of  my 
visitation  cometh  speedily,  in  an  hour  when  ye  think  not  of, 

58 


and  where  shall  be  the  safety  of  my  people,  and  refuge  for 
those  who  shall  be  left  of  them?"  D.  C.  124:8-10.  (D.  C. 
85:6-12.) 

We  now  return  to  the  28th  Chapter  of  Isaiah:  "But  they, 
also  have  erred  thru  wine,  and  thru  strong  drink  are  out  of 
the  way;  the  priest  and  the  prophet  have  erred  thru  strong 
drink,  they  are  swallowed  up  of  wine,  they  are  out  of  the 
way  through  strong  drink,  they  err  in  vision,  they  stumble 
in  judgment.  For  all  tables  are  full  of  vomit  and  filthiness 
so  that  there  is  no  place  clean."  28 :7-8. 

The  great  Prophet  Isaiah  has  truly  portrayed  a  sad  picture 
that  shall  exist  among  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim.  But 
reader  do  you  realize  that  we  have  the  same  conditions 
existing  today  among  the  Drunkards  of  the  Latter  Day 
Saints  who  are  of  Ephraim?  If  you  question  it,  consider  the 
things  they  are  doing,  and  read  their  decisions  on  doctrine, 
then  compare  them  with  the  Scriptures,  for  your  own 
satisfaction. 

Then,  again,  where  is  there  a  branch  among  our  people 
where  these  glorious  latter  day  events  and  prophecies  can  be 
discussed  by  the  members  and  accepted,  without  sacrificing 
their  full  fellowship  and  facing  excommunication?  Spiritual 
food  in  the  Church  is  today  at  its  lowest  ebb.  According  to 
our  latest  edition  of  the  Book  of  Revelations,  the  Doc- 
trine and  Covenants,  there  have  been  but  two  revela- 
tions given  since  the  days  of  Joseph  Smith  in 
1844.  One  to  Brigham  Young  when  the  Saints  were 
commanded  to  gather  to  the  Rocky  Mountains;  the  sec- 
ond to  President  John  Taylor  on  October  13,  1882,  wherein 
the  Lord  commanded  His  Priesthood,  in  solemn  language,  to 
organize  and  purify  themselves,  and  to  cut  off  the  unworthy 
among  their  number.  This  revelation  continued  as  follows : 

"And  let  my  Priesthood  humble  themselves  before  me,  and 
seek  not  their  own  will,  but  my  will;  for  if  my  Priesthood 
whom  I  have  chosen  and  called  and  endowed  with  the  spirit 
and  gift  of  their  several  callings,  and  with  the  powers 
thereof,  do  not  acknowledge  me,  I  will  not  acknowledge  them 

59 


saith  the  Lord.  For  I  will  be  honored  and  obeyed  by  my 
Priesthood." 

The  revelation  continues  by  calling  upon  the  Priesthood 
,  to  free  themselves  from  their  sins,  covetousness  and  pride, 
with  the  promise  of  deliverance  from  their  enemies,  and  that 
He,  the  Lord,  would  answer  their  prayers,  and  that  Zion 
would  be  established.  The  reader  can  appreciate  the  high 
importance  of  giving  this  revelation  out  to  the  rank  and  file 
of  the  Priesthood.  In  recent  years  it  has  been  removed  from 
the  above  referred  book,  and  but  few  of  the  Saints  are 
aware  of  its  contents.  Why? 

Strange  to  say,  our  history  shows  that  persecution  soon 
followed  and  became  so  strong  that  the  Manifesto  was  issued 
by  President  Woodruff  in  1890;  and  the  Heavens  have  been 
closed  ever  since.  Hence  the  question,  Have  the  Priesthood 
placed  themselves  right  with  God?  At  the  close  of  these 
many  years  of  waiting  for  the  voice  of  the  Lord  to  comfort 
them,  many  are  beginning  to  open  their  eyes  and  realize  that 
this  silence  is  for  the  reason,  as  stated  by  Isaiah,  that  they, 
the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim,  have  placed  themselves  out  of 
the  way,  and  have  erred  in  vision,  stumbled  in  judgment  and 
have  become  spiritually  drunk.  In  recent  years  worldliness 
thru  the  financial  field  has  been  added  to  the  list.  Those 
who  are  acquainted  with  conditions  in  Utah  know  these  state- 
ments to  be  true. 

Various  tracts  and  articles  have  been  published  in  recent 
years  showing  graft  in  high  places  among  our  people.  For 
instance,  the  sugar  question,  in  which  the  Church  tithing 
funds  have  been  invested  and  some  of  the  leaders  are  finan- 
cially involved.  These  various  articles  and  tracts  have  shown 
conclusively  that  it  was  and  is  the  Church  tithing  funds  that 
have  brought  the  sugar  factories  in  our  midst,  and  that  these 
investments  were  made  for  the  mutual  benefit  of  our  people. 
But,  to  the  writer's  surprise,  these  articles  set  forth  figures 
showing  that  our  people,  who  hold  the  controlling  interest, 
have  underpaid  our  farmers  for  their  beets,  as  compared  with 
other  States.  For  instance,  the  Second  Edition  of  the  Sugar 

60 


Tract  by  C.  G.  Patterson,  a  member  of  the  Church,  shows 
that  the  Colorado  companies  would  have  paid  our  farmers 
$339,000  more  for  their  1911  crop;  and  in  1912  they  would 
have  received  $422,000  more  than  they  received  from  their 
own  brethren.  Bishop  C.  W.  Nibley,  the  presiding  Bishop  of 
the  Church,  and  one  of  the  leading  Sugar  men  of  Utah,  has 
explained  this  condition  in  one  of  his  answers  in  an  effort  to 
defend  the  Church  position  in  the  Sugar  trust,  which  was 
exposed  at  the  time  of  the  Government  investigation.  The 
Bishop  stated  that  the  Utah  farmers  raised  more  beets  to 
the  acre  than  in  other  States,  hence  should  be  contented  with 
a  less  price  per  ton.  Of  all  the  arguments,  this  one  is  truly 
the  climax.  The  writer  asks  the  question,  by  what  authority 
has  the  presiding  Bishop  the  right  to  rob  the  Utah  farmer  of 
the  excess  blessings  that  God  has  evidently  given  them  for 
their  faith  and  righteousness? 

Mr.  Patterson,  in  his  Sugar  tract,  cites  instances  where 
efforts  were  made  to  establish  other  sugar  factories  among 
our  people,  but  were  discouraged  thru  the  action  of  our 
leaders.  For  example,  let  us  consider  the  Minutes  of  the 
Joint  Boards  of  the  Utah  Sugar  Company  and  the  Amalga- 
mated Sugar  Company,  of  June  4th,  1903,  held  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  wherein  President  Joseph  F.  Smith  was  elected  chair- 
man. The  minutes  show  that  several  leading  men  spoke 
against  the  proposition  of  the  proposed  Lewiston  Sugar  Com- 
pany. President  Smith  then  took  the  floor  and  stated  that 
it  was  desirable  that  a  war  of  interest  should  be  averted, 
and  especially  desirable  that,  if  a  factory  were  built  at  Lew- 
iston, it  should  be  built  BY  PEOPLE  WHO  COULD  BE 
CONTROLLED  BY  THE  EXISTING  INTERESTS.  (For 
details  of  meeting  see  p.  8  of  Second  Edition  of  Sugar  Tract, 
by  C.  G.  Patterson,  on  "Business,  Politics  and  Religion  in 
Utah.") 

The  result  of  the  meeting  was  a  committee  being  sent  to 
discourage  the  formation  of  a  new  company.  Mr.  Patterson 
shows  quotations  from  the  Sugar  Companies'  managers  stat- 
ing that  they  feared  the  new  company  would  raise  the  price 

61 


of  beets.  Mr.  Patterson  also  states — "Besides  all  this,  we 
have  Mr.  Cutler's  letter  to  Mr.  Havemeyer,  of  November  5th, 
1905,  to  the  effect  that  your  company  did  not  want  a  lower 
freight  rate  to  the  East  on  Utah  sugar,  as  that  would  compel 
a  reduction  to  our  own  people."  Mr.  Patterson  here  adds — 
"If  there  has  ever  been  a  more  mercenary,  ungrateful  or 
selfish  idea,  uttered  or  unexpressed,  in  the  formation  and 
conduct  of  the  most  reprehensible  trust,  monopoly  or  com- 
bination ever  formed  in  this  nation,  I  would  like  to  hear  it. 
Before  leaving  this  subject  of  price,  I  will  remind  you  that 
the  Mormon  people  have  been  taught  that  it  was  their  duty 
to  establish  and  foster  all  needful  industries  among  them,  to 
the  end  that  they  would  not  be  under  the  necessity  of  paying 
tribute  to  outsiders  in  supplying  their  temporal  wants.  When 
the  truth  dawns  upon  this  people  that  those  whom  they  have 
chosen  to  leadership  are  forcing  them  to  do  the  very  thing 
they  thought  to  avoid  when  they  established  the  Sugar  indus-  - 
try,  I  wonder  what  their  judgment  will  be?"  (P.  18-19.) 

Mr.  Patterson  also  cites  Bishop  Nibley's  explanation  for 
the  Sugar  prices.  He  explains  that  the  price  is  regulated  by 
the  foreign  shippers  of  Sugar,  the  local  rate  being  what  the 
sugar  cost  in  New  York,  plus  freight  from  New  York  to  Utah. 
(The  reader  will  note  that  this  extreme  freight  rate  is  pure 
profit  to  the  Utah  Sugar  companies,  and  more  properly 
expressed  as  "pure  graft.")  Mr.  Patterson  here  adds:  "This 
explains  why  sugar  is  no  higher  instead  of  explaining  why  it 
is  no  lower.  It  explains  why  Utah  sugar  is  shipped  to  the 
Missouri  River  and  sold  there,  at  a  profit,  for  a  price  that  is 
as  much  less  than  the  Utah  prices  as  the  sum  of  the  freight 
rates  to  and  from  the  Missouri  River."  (P.  22.) 

It  is  also  interesting  to  note  what  Mr.  Patterson  says  in 
regard  to  the  Utah  companies  paying  the  California  sugar 
companies  to  keep  out  of  the  Utah  market,  called  the  Oxnard 
Plan.  (P.  12.) 

As  to  the  actual  cost  of  producing  beet  sugar,  Mr.  Pat- 
terson states  that,  thru  an  investigation,  it  has  been  disclosed 
to  not  exceed  3  cents  per  pound,  and  at  3 1/2  cents  per  pound 

62 


reasonable  dividends  can  be  paid.  Therefore,  when  the 
Utah  consumer  pays  from  8  to  10  cents,  it  is  self-evident 
why  their  leaders  were  not  in  favor  of  new  companies. 

Mr.  Patterson,  in  his  tract,  "Utah  and  Her  Railroads,"  has 
disclosed  other  interesting  facts.  He  cites  the  free  right  of 
way  that  the  Utah  legislators  have  granted  the  railroads; 
that  Utah,  Wyoming  and  Rhode  Island  are  the  only  States 
which  do  not  exercise  regulatory  powers  over  their  railroads. 
He  cites  the  amount  of  stock  the  Union  Pacific  has  been  per- 
mitted to  issue  as  compared  with  other  railroads  of  similar 
mileage  and  territory,  which  would  require  them  to  charge 
the  Utah  people  $1.71  as  compared  to  $1.00  that  other  States 
would  be  required  to  pay  their  railroads  in  order  for  the  two 
roads  to  pay  the  same  dividends.  He  also  asks  the  question, 
Why  is  President  Joseph  F.  Smith,  who  has  no  astute  railroad 
knowledge,  retained  on  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Union 
Pacific?  He  answers  by  stating  that  it  was  for  the  purpose 
of  keeping  peace  among  the  people.  He  also  lays  the  same 
charge  against  Apostle  Smoot,  who  was  placed  in  a  promi- 
nent position  by  the  Los  Angeles  and  Salt  Lake  Railroad, 
and  the  same  against  Presiding  Bishop  Nibley,  who  has  of 
recent  date  been  appointed  as  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
Western  Pacific.  The  present  writer  asks  the  question,  Why 
do  our  leading  Brethren  accept  these  certain  positions  which 
require  time  to  look  after?  Is  there  not  enough  work  in  a 
Church  of  over  500,000  membership  for  them  to  devote  their 
entire  time  to  it,  and  does  not  the  Church  pay  them  a  living 
salary?  Why  do  they  seek  to  represent  and  control  these 
corporations?  Surely  not  for  the  benefit  of  the  Saints? 

While  writing  the  above  lines,  a  letter  was  received  from  a 
noted  Mormon  writer  of  Church  literature  stating  opinions 
in  regard  to  the  manuscript  of  the  preceding  chapter,  which 
was  presented  for  criticism,  as  follows : 

"This  chapter  is  fine,  and  I  do  hope  the  book  will  be  a 
blessing  to  all  who  read  it.  There  are  many  who  are  looking 
for  the  coming  of  these  mighty  servants  of  the  Lord,  though 
there  are  many  who  will  oppose  them;  and  there  is  nothing 

63 


more  certain  than  the  fact  that  when  they  come  there  will 
be  a  general  apostasy.  Those  born  in  the  Church  will  be 
the  first  to  fall  away.  This  will  be  their  supreme  test,  and, 
knowing  no  more  of  the  Gospel  than  what  is  taught  to  them, 
having  never  really  studied  it  for  themselves,  in  the  hour 
of  testing  they  will  prove  wanting.  You  have  certainly 
spared  no  pains  to  yourself  to  bring  these  great  truths  home 
to  the  people,  and  the  Lord  will  bless  you  for  it." 

The  above  expressions  have  come  from  one  who  would 
not  utter  an  ill  statement  against  the  Shepherds  of  Israel, 
but  it  is  this  worldly  course  which  they  are  following  today 
that  is  forcing  many  of  her  loyal  members  to  acknowledge 
facts  which  stand  facing  us  at  the  door.  These  statements 
will  be  fulfilled  when  these  future  prophets  come  and  are 
rejected  by  that  certain  portion  of  our  leaders,  the  Drunk- 
ards of  Ephraim.  Isaiah  continues: 

"Whom  shall  he  teach  knowledge?  And  whom  shall  he 
make  to  understand  doctrine?  Them  that  are  weaned  from 
the  milk,  and  drawn  from  the  breasts."  (28:9.) 

In  the  above  verse  lies  the  key  to  future  sorrow  and  the 
present  low  spiritual  conditions  existing  among  the  Saints 
and  Priesthood,  for  that  portion  of  our  Shepherds  have  been 
spending  their  time  in  feeding  themselves  on  the  fat  and  the 
wool  of  earthly  goods  (Ezek.  34:1-25),  and  have  been  giving 
in  return  only  the  simple  or  milk  portions  of  the  Gospel  and 
have  prohibited  the  Saints  progress  in  these  greater  or  meat 
portions  of  the  Word  of  God.  The  Saints  have  listened  to 
this  ABC  portion  of  the  Gospel  ever  since  the  days  of  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  in  1844,  and  have  become  weary  and 
have  lost  their  ambition  to  press  on.  Our  Shepherds  accuse 
the  Saints  of  a  lack  of  interest;  but  Isaiah  says,  the  error 
lies  with  the  Priest  and  the  Prophets,  for  the  reason  that 
they  have  gone  out  of  the  way,  and  have  erred  in  vision, 
stumbled  in  judgment,  and  have  failed  to  wean  the  flock 
from  the  breast. 

In  former  days,  the  Priesthood  labored  to  press  onward. 
Paul  complained  of  the  Saints*  slow  progress.  He  says: 

64 


"We  have  many  things  to  say,  and  hard  to  be  uttered, 
seeing  ye  are  dull  of  hearing.  For  when  for  the  time  ye 
ought  to  be  teachers,  ye  have  need  that  one  teach  you  again 
which  be  the  first  principles  of  the  oracles  of  God;  and  are 
become  such  as  have  need  of  milk,  and  not  of  strong  meat. 
For  every  one  that  useth  milk  is  unskillful  in  the  word  of 
righteousness;  for  he  is  a  babe.  But  strong  meat  belongeth 
to  them  that  are  of  full  age,  even  those  who  by  reason  of 
use  have  their  senses  exercised  to  discern  both  good  and 
evil."  Heb.  5:11-14. 

It  appears  that  the  Saints  are  not  aware  of  the  fact  that 
the  Lord  has  commanded  them  to  seek  the  mysteries  of  the 
Kingdom.  Their  error  seemingly  lies  in  the  fact  that  their 
Shepherds  have  applied  that  portion  of  the  Scriptures  to  the 
Saints  that  should  be  applied  to  the  unconverted;  and  have 
ignored  the  mysteries  of  the  Kingdom.  The  following  quo- 
tation is  one  of  many  which  bear  out  the  above  thought: 

"Behold,  I  say  unto  you,  keep  my  commandments,  and  seek 
to  bring  forth  and  establish  the  cause  of  Zion.  Seek  not  for 
riches,  but  for  wisdom,  and,  behold,  the  mysteries  of  God 
shall  be  unfolded  unto  you,  and  then  shall  you  be  made  rich 
.  Say  nothing  but  repentance  unto  this  generation; 
keep  my  commandments,  and  assist  to  bring  forth  my  work, 
according  to  my  commandments,  and  you  shall  be  blessed. 
Behold,  thou  hast  a  gift,  and  blessed  art  thou  because  of  thy 
gift.  Remember  it  is  sacred  and  cometh  from  above;  and  if 
thou  wilt  inquire  thou  shalt  know  mysteries  which  are  great 
and  marvelous;  therefore  thou  shalt  exercise  thy  gift,  that 
thou  mayest  find  out  mysteries,  that  thou  mayest  bring  many 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth;  yea,  convince  them  of  the 
error  of  their  ways.  Make  not  thy  gift  known  unto  any, 
save  it  be  to  those  who  are  of  thy  faith.  Trifle  not  with 
sacred  things."  D.  C.  6:6-12.  (D.  C.  76:5-10;  11:1-7; 
63:23.  Mai.  3:16-17.) 

Isaiah  proceeds  to  identify  and  censure  the  Drunkards  of 
Ephraim : 

"For  with  stammering  lips  and  another   tongue  will   he 

65 


speak  to  this  people,  to  whom  he  said,  This  is  the  rest  where- 
you  ye  may  cause  the  weary  to  rest,  and  this  is  the 
refreshing;  yet  they  would  not  hear.  But  the  Word  of  the 
Lord  was  unto  them,  precept  upon  precept,  precept  upon 
precept;  line  upon  line,  line  upon  line;  here  a  little,  and 
there  a  little;  that  they  might  go,  and  fall  backward,  and 
be  broken,  and  snared,  and  taken."  (28  :11-13.) 

Have  the  Latter  Day  Saints  heard?  Some  answer  yes; 
but  what  about  the  Nauvoo  House  which  the  Lord  com- 
manded the  Saints  to  build,  but  they  failed  to  fulfil?  (D.  C. 
124:22-24,  56-60.)  This  house  was  to  be  a  boarding  house 
for  the  weary  traveler  to  find  rest  while  contemplating  the 
building  up  of  Zion  and  her  great  temple,  as  well  as  the 
building  up  of  the  Nauvoo  Stake,  which  was  to  be  a  corner- 
stone of  Zion.  The  reader  should  note  the  similarity  of  lan- 
guage as  quoted  from  Isaiah  with  that  as  given  to  our  peo- 
ple, as  follows : 

"And  it  shall  be  for  a  house  for  boarding,  a  house  that 
strangers  may  come  from  afar  to  lodge  therein;  therefore, 
let  it  be  a  good  house,  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  the 
weary  traveler  may  find  health  and  safety  while  he  shall 
contemplate  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  and  the  cornerstone  I 
have  appointed  for  Zion.  And  let  the  name  of  that  house 
be  called  Nauvoo  House,  and  let  it  be  a  delightful  habitation 
for  man,  and  a  resting  place  for  the  weary  traveler,  that  he 
may  contemplate  the  Glory  of  Zion,  and  the  Glory  of  this 
corner-stone  thereof."  D.  C.  124:23,  60. 

Isaiah  says  that  this  resting  place  shall  be  for  a  refreshing, 
meaning  restoration  by  food  or  drink;  the  D.  &  C.  says  that 
it  shall  be  a  resting  and  boarding  house  for  the  weary 
traveler. 

The  Latter  Day  Saints  are  also  the  very  people  who  have 
received  line  upon  line  and  precept  upon  precept.  The  rev- 
elations that  were  given  to  Joseph  Smith  constitute  a  volume 
of  printed  matter,  which  does  not  include  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon and  Book  of  Moses  as  revealed  thru  him.  Joseph  Smith 
evidently  saw  our  day  and  sounded  the  key  of  warning  that 

66 


we  should  go  forward  and  not  backward.  In  his  address  to 
the  Church,  on  September  6,  1842,  he  referred  to  the  many 
heavenly  messengers  who  had  been  sent  unto  them  in  this 
dispensation;  that  the  Voice  of  the  Lord  had  outlined  this 
great  Latter  Day  work;  that  Elijah,  Peter,  James  and  John, 
Moroni,  Adam  or  Michael  and  Noah,  who  is  Gabriel,  had  all 
appeared;  he  then  remarked:  "all  declaring  their  dispensa- 
tion, their  rights,  their  keys,  their  honors,  their  majesty  and 
glory,  and  the  powers  of  their  Priesthood;  given  line  upon 
line,  precept  upon  precept;  here  a  little,  and  there  a  little — 
giving  us  consolation  by  holding  forth  that  which  is  to  come, 
confirming  our  hope.  Brethren,  shall  we  not  go  on  in  so 
great  a  cause?  Go  forward  and  not  backward."  D.  C. 
128:21-22. 

Oh,  how  sadly  have  we  failed  to  heed  his  voice  of  warning, 
and  have  done  as  Isaiah  said:  "The  word  of  the  Lord  was 
unto  them  precept  upon  precept,  line  upon  line;  here  a  little 
and  there  a  little;  that  they  might  go  and  fall  backward, 
and  be  broken,  and  snared,  and  taken."  (28:13.) 

We  have  failed  to  redeem  Zion;  we  have  failed  to  live  the 
law  of  consecration ;  we  have  failed  to  live  the  marriage  law, 
and  have  made  a  permanent  agreement  to  abandon  same; 
we  have  so  lived  that  the  Heavens  have  been  closed  ever 
since  the  Revelations,  as  given  to  President  John  Taylor, 
wherein  the  Priesthood  were  warned  that  if  they  did  not 
repent,  purify  themselves  and  honor  Him,  that  He  would 
not  "acknowledge  them;"  and  we  have  failed  to  advance 
ourselves  beyond  the  first  principles  of  the  Gospel,  and  today 
we  are  sinking  the  security  of  the  Church  into  stocks  and 
bonds  in  preference  to  the  souls  of  men. 

Isaiah  continues  to  quote  other  grievances  against  this 
people,  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim,  "Wherefore,  hear  the 
Word  of  the  Lord,  ye  scornful  men,  that  rule  this  people 
which  is  in  Jerusalem."  (28:14.) 

Is  it  not  a  fact  that  our  leaders  are  becoming  more  scorn- 
ful from  year  to  year,  for  today  they  are  casting  their 
Brethren  out  of  their  midst  because  they  cannot  see  certain 

67 


prophecies  as  they  do.  As  to  Utah,  she  is  one  of  the  stakes 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  which  Jerusalem  is  to  be  redeemed 
and  built  up  with  her  glory  in  Missouri  within  the  generation 
of  1832.  It  is  also  to  be  called  "Mount  Zion,"  the  capital 
of  the  Kingdom  of  God  on  this  continent.  (D.  C.  84:1-5. 
133:8-24.) 

The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  word  "Jerusalem" 
is  also  applied  in  the  Scriptures,  referring  to  a  land  of  peace, 
the  dwelling  place  of  God's  people,  as  is  the  word  "Babylon" 
to  designate  confusion  and  a  worldly  people.  Isaiah  uses 
similar  methods  in  the  following  or  29th  Chapter  to  designate 
another  certain  people  of  the  Western  continent,  recognized 
by  our  greatest  writers,  namely,  the  late  Apostle  Orson  Pratt, 
and  James  E.  Talmage,  of  the  present  quorum,  the  latter 
stating  in  his  booklet  entitled  "The  Book  of  Mormon,"  (p. 
26-7),  the  following: 

"Reverting  to  the  writings  of  Isaiah,  we  find  that  prophet 
voicing  the  Lord's  threatenings  against  Ariel,  or  Jerusalem, 
'the  city  where  David  dwelt/  Ariel  was  to  be  distressed, 
burdened  with  heaviness  and  sorrow;  then  the  prophet  refers 
to  some  people,  other  than  Judah  who  occupied  Jerusalem, 
for  he  makes  comparison  with  the  latter,  saying,  'And  it 
shall  be  unto  me  as  Ariel/  As  to  the  fate  decreed  against 
this  other  people,  we  read :  'And  thou  shalt  be  brought  down, 
and  shalt  speak  out  of  the  ground,  and  thy  speech  shall  be 
low  out  of  the  dust,  and  thy  voice  shall  be,  as  of  one  that 
hath  a  familiar  spirit,  out  of  the  ground,  and  thy  speech 
shall  whisper  out  of  the  dust/ 

"Of  the  fulfillment  of  these  and  associated  prophecies,  a 
modern  apostle  has  written:  'These  predictions  of  Isaiah 
could  not  refer  to  Ariel,  or  Jerusalem,  because  their  speech 
has  not  been  "out  of  the  ground,"  or  "low  out  of  the  dust"; 
but  it  refers  to  the  remnant  of  Joseph  who  were  destroyed  in 
America  upwards  of  fourteen  hundred  years  ago.  The  Book 
of  Mormon  describes  their  downfall,  and  truly  it  was  great 
and  terrible.  .  .  .  This  remnant  of  Joseph,  in  their  dis- 
tress and  destruction,  became  as  Ariel/  " 

68 


Apostle  Talmage  adds:  "Isaiah's  striking  prediction  that 
the  nation  thus  brought  down  should  'speak  out  of  the 
ground/  with  speech  'low  out  of  the  dust'  was  literally  ful- 
filled in  the  bringing  forth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  the 
original  of  which  was  taken  out  of  the  ground,  and  the  voice 
of  the  record  is  as  that  of  one  speaking  from  the  dust." 
(Isa.  29,  Ghap.  Ezek.  37:16-19.) 

The  above  prophecy  and  historical  facts,  as  briefly  cited, 
which  can  be  verified  from  a  hundred  sources,  clearly  -con- 
nect the  people  of  the  Western  Continent  with  its  fulfillment. 
This  chapter  of  Isaiah  also  more  fully  defines  the  term 
"Drunkards."  He  says:  "They  are  drunken,  but  not  with 
wine;  they  stagger,  but  not  with  strong  drink."  (29:9.) 

The  Latter  Day  Saints  are  a  temperance  people,  but  it  is 
the  spiritual  drunkards  to  whom  Isaiah  is  referring. 

As  Isaiah  proceeds  in  the  28th  Chapter,  he  becomes  more 
serious  with  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim,  saying: 

"Because  ye  have  said,  We  have  made  a  covenant  with 
death,  and  with  hell  are  we  at  agreement;  when  the  over- 
flowing scourge  shall  pass  through,  it  shall  not  come  unto 
us:  for  we  have  made  lies  our  refuge,  and  under  falsehood 
have  we  hid  ourselves.  Judgment  also  will  I  lay  to  the  line, 
and  righteousness  to  the  plummet :  and  the  hail  shall  sweep 
away  the  refuge  of  lies,  and  the  waters  shall  overflow  the 
hiding  place.  And  your  covenant  with  death  shall  be  dis- 
annulled, and  your  agreement  with  hell  shall  not  stand; 
when  the  overflowing  scourge  shall  pass  through,  then  ye 
shall  be  trodden  down  by  it.  From  the  time  that  it  goeth 
forth  it  shall  take  you :  for  morning  by  morning  shall  it  pass 
over,  by  day  and  by  night;  and  it  shall  be  a  vexation  only 
to  understand  the  report.  For  the  bed  is  shorter  than  that 
a  man  can  stretch  himself  on  it,  and  the  covering  narrower 
than  that  he  can  wrap  himself  in  it.  For  the  Lord  shall  rise 
up  as  in  Mount  Perazim,  He  shall  be  wroth  as  in  the  Val- 
leys of  Gibeon,  that  He  may  do  His  work,  His  strange  work; 
and  bring  to  pass  His  act,  His  strange  act.  Now,  therefore, 
be  ye  not  mockers,  lest  your  bands  be  made  strong;  for  I 

69 


have  heard  from  the  Lord  God  of  Hosts  a  consumption,  even 
determined  upon  the  whole  earth.  .  .  .  This  also  com- 
eth  forth  from  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  which  is  wonderful  in 
counsel,  and  excellent  in  working."  (28:15,  17-22,  29.) 

The  Lord  is  to  rise  up  as  he  did  in  Mount  Perazim, — where 
He  fought  the  battle  of  Israel,  destroying  their  enemies  by 
water.  (II  Sam.  5:20.)  He  shall  be  wroth  as  in  the  valleys 
of  Gibeon, — where  He  destroyed  her  enemies  with  hail  (Josh. 
10:1*1);  this  is  to  be  a  portion  of  His  strange  work  and 
strange  act  among  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim.  Today,  "they 
are  accounted  as  the  salt  of  the  earth  and  the  savor  of  men. 
They  are  called  to  be  the  savor  of  men."  But,  "if  that  salt 
of  the  earth  lose  its  savor,  behold,  it  is  henceforth  good  for 
nothing,  only  to  be  cast  out  and  trodden  under  the  feet  of 
men."  D.  C.  101:39-40. 

The  question  also  presents  itself,  have  our  people  made  a 
covenant  with  their  persecutors?  Our  history  shows  that  the 
Priesthood  brought  an  end  to  their  persecution  by  issuing, 
in  1890,  the  document  known  as  the  "Manifesto."  Before 
analyzing  this  question  further,  it  is  fitting  here  to  add  that 
a  man's  character  is  no  better  than  his  word.  Hence,  a  cove- 
nant ma4e  between  any  two  people  must  be  maintained. 
The  question  as  to  the  right  or  wrong  of  this  covenant,  from 
a  national  standpoint,  which  our  leaders  have  made  is  not 
concerned  in  this  book,  for  the  writer  considers  the  issue 
closed.  But  the  question  here  of  interest  resolves  itself 
into :  was  the  covenant  actually  dictated  and  written  by  man, 
and  then  later  claimed  to  have  come  by  way  of  a  vision  and 
revelation?  If  so,  then  we  have  the  fulfillment  of  the 
prophecy  of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah.  With  this  outline  in  mind, 
let  us  proceed  to  analyze  the  source  of  the  Manifesto  as 
issued  on  September  24th,  1890.  The  following  is  taken 
from  the  "Outlines  of  Ecclesiastical  History,"  by  B.  H. 
Roberts,  (p.  416.) 

"The  clause  in  President  Woodruff's  Manifesto  which  dis- 
continued plural  marriage  is  as  follows:  'Inasmuch  as  laws 
have  been  enacted  by  Congress  forbidding  plural  marriages, 

70 


which  laws  have  been  pronounced  constitutional  by  the  Court 
of  Last  Resort,  I  hereby  declare  my  intention  to  submit  to 
those  laws,  and  to  use  my  influence  with  the  members  of  the 
Church  over  which  I  preside  to  have  them  do  likewise'." 

The  same  testimony  is  borne  out  in  President  George  Q. 
Cannon's  sermon  of  October  6th,  1890.  President  Cannon 
first  quoted  the  revelation  of  D.  C.  124:  49,  wherein  the 
Lord  says  that  when  He  gives  a  commandment  to  the  sons 
of  men,  and  they  go  forth  to  fulfill  it  with  all  their  might, 
and  their  enemies  come  upon  them  and  prevent  them  from 
complying  with  His  word,  then  He  would  not  hold  them 
responsible.  President  Cannon  then  remarked:  "It  is  on 
this  basis  that  President  Woodruff  has  felt  himself  justified 
in  issuing  this  Manifesto."  (Quoted  in  same  book  and  page.) 
If  the  reader  will  consider  that  Mr.  Cannon  was  one  of  the 
three  Presidents,  and  first  counselor  to  President  Woodruff 
at  the  time  the  Manifesto  was  issued,  the  evidence  cited  will 
be  sufficient  to  show  that  there  were  no  revelations  or  visions 
given  in  connection  with  the  Manifesto,  for  the  reason  that 
if  God  had  given  this  instruction  and  commandment,  as 
claimed  today,  then  there  would  have  been  nothing  left  to  do 
but  to  publish  the  revelation  and  obey  the  same  without 
responsibility. 

The  issuing  of  this  Manifesto  brought  on  a  great  amount 
of  dissatisfaction  in  the  Church.  To  overcome  this,  Presi- 
dent Woodruff  declared: 

"I  have  received  a  revelation  and  commandment  from  the 
Lord,  which  I  have  not  revealed  to  any  man,  which  I  shall 
reveal  to  this  assembly,  and  the  command  of  the  Lord  I  shall 
give  to  this  people,  which  is  this:  The  Lord  has  revealed  to 
me  that  there  are  many  in  the  Church  who  feel  badly  tried 
about  the  Manifesto,  and  also  about  the  testimony  of  the 
President  and  Apostles  before  the  Master  in  Chancery.  The 
Lord  has  commanded  me  to  put  the  following  question  to  the 
Saints."  The  President  then  presented  a  lengthy  argument, 
enumerating  the  past  sufferings  the  Saints  had  endured  and 
others  which  they  would  pass  thru  if  they  continued  to  live 

71 


according  to  the  plural  marriage  laws,  and  then  he  stated 
that  if  they  would  consider  these  things  "the  inspiration  of 
the  Lord  will  reveal  to  any  person  which  course  wisdom 
would  dictate  us  to  pursue."  (Given  at  Box  Elder  Quarterly 
Conference,  October  25th,  1891.) 

It  would  appear  that  this  would  have  been  another  golden 
opportunity  to  disclose  the  vision  and  revelation  from  the 
Lord  which  gave  the  authority  to  issue  the  Manifesto,  if  they 
were  given. 

But  what  do  we  hear  today  concerning  a  revelation  and 
vision  given  just  prior  to  the  issuing  of  the  Manifesto?  The 
following  are  quotations  from  letters  received  by  the  writer 
from  one  of  the  present  General  Authorities,  in  answer  to  a 
question  from  the  writer  if  a  revelation  or  vision  was  given 
in  connection  with  the  issuing  of  the  Manifesto.  He  replied : 

"It  was  shown  to  President  Woodruff  by  vision  and  reve- 
lation why  the  Manifesto  was  given,  and  it  became  a  rule  of 
the  Church."  (Letter  dated  Salt  Lake  City,  February  21st, 
1916.) 

The  writer  again  wrote  for  information  as  to  where  he 
could  find  a  copy  of  this  revelation  and  vision  referred  to, 
which  was  not  published  in  the  Manifesto  or  elsewhere.  In 
due  time  a  letter  was  received,  dated  March  16th,  1916, 
stating : 

"I  received  your  former  letter,  as  well  as  your  second 
letter,  dated  March  13th.  I  answered  your  question  fully 
and  completely  that  President  Wilf  ord  Woodruff  was  shown 
by  vision  and  revelation  as  to  the  issuance  of  the  Manifesto. 
There  was  no  written  revelation  that  was  presented  to  the 
Church  other  than  the  Manifesto." 

Reader,  can  you  contemplate  a  reason  why  the  above 
referred  to  vision  and  revelation  were  never  published?  Bear 
in  mind  the  unrest  that  its  concealment  has  brought  forth, 
whereas  if  the  revelation  had  been  published  and  the  vision 
or  dream  told,  it  would  have  forever  settled  the  question. 
Do  you  realize  that  there  is  but  one  answer,  namely,  that 
there  was  none  given  or  received  to  publish.  We  have  gone 

72 


thus  far,  let  us  now  see  what  the  Lord  says  about  those  who 
receive,  or  claim  they  received,  His  Word,  but  fail  to  tell  or 
publish  it. 

In  running  thru  the  prophecies  of  Jeremiah  which  refer 
to  the  latter  days,  we  find  in  the  23rd  chapter  wherein  he 
speaks  of  the  final  gathering  of  God's  people,  the  coming  of 
the  Servant  known  as  the  "Branch"  (see  Division  on 
Branch),  the  return  of  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes,  and  a  whirl- 
wind judgment  to  be  sent  from  the  Lord  against  the  wicked ; 
then  the  Prophet  adds,  "The  anger  of  the  Lord  shall  not 
return,  until  he  have  executed,  and  till  he  have  performed 
the  thoughts  of  his  heart:  in  the  latter  days  ye  shall  consider 
it  perfectly."  (3:20.)  (See  D.'  C.  97:21-26;  112:24-26, 
for  this  same  form  of  judgment  threatened  against  the  Lat- 
ter Day  Saints.)  Jeremiah  then  proceeds  to  pronounce 
judgments  against  certain  prophets,  as  follows: 

"I  have  heard  what  the  prophets  said,  that  prophecy  lies 
in  my  name,  saying,  I  have  dreamed,  I  have  dreamed.  How 
long  shall  this  be  in  the  heart  of  the  prophets  that  prophecy 
lies?  Yea,  they  are  prophets  of  deceit  of  their  own  heart. 
Which  think  to  cause  my  people  to  forget  my  name  by  their 
dreams,  .  .  .  The  prophet  that  hath  a  dream  let  him  tell 
a.  dream;  and  he  that  hath  my  word,  let  him  speak  my  word 
faithfully.  ...  Is  not  my  word  like  as  a  fire? 
Therefore,  behold,  I  am  against  the  prophets,  saith  the  Lord, 
that  steal  my  words  every  one  from  his  neighbor."  Jer. 
23:25-31. 

The  Lord  clearly  states  Himself  in  the  above  quotations 
along  these  lines,  and  they  are  in  harmony  with  His  Words 
as  pronounced  against  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim.  (The 
reader  is  here  especially  requested  to  compare  them  with 
those  prononuced  against  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim  before 
continuing.  See  p.  69-70  for  Isa.  28:15,  17-22,  29.) 

Not  only  have  the  Latter  Day  Saints  made  a  covenant  that 
is  identical  in  form  as  portrayed  in  the  above  cited  quota- 
tions, but  we  are  the  ones  who  have  this  whirlwind  judgment 
hanging  over  our  heads.  (D.  C.  97:21-26;  112:24-26.)  Fur- 

73 


thermore,  our  people  are  the  ones  whom  this  "Strange  Work 
and  Strange  Act"  is  to  be  accomplished  amidst.  Our  revela- 
tion reads: 

"That  I  may  proceed  to  bring  to  pass  my  act,  my  strange 
act,  and  perform  my  work,  my  strange  work,  that  men  may 
discern  between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  saith  your 
God."  D.  C.  101:95;  (95:1-6.) 

One  of  the  main  events,  which  has  been  reserved  until  last, 
as  spoken  of  by  Isaiah  to  be  accomplished  by  the  "One 
Mighty  and  Strong,"  is  that  he  is  to  establish  a  precious  cor- 
ner-stone, which  is  to  be  a  gathering  place  and  sure  founda- 
tion for  those  who  believe.  He  declares: 

"Therefore,  thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  Behold,  I  lay  in  Zion, 
for  a  foundation  a  stone,  a  tried  stone,  a  precious  corner 
stone,  a  sure  foundation :  he  that  Jbelieveth  shall  not  make 
haste."  28:16. 

The  Prophet  Nephi,  after  referring  to  the  establishment 
of  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  Zion  of  America  uses  the  same 
term  in  speaking  of  the  final  gathering  of  the  righteous  to 
the  lands  of  their  inheritance.  He  states: 

"And  they  shall  go  out  from  all  nations,  and  they  shall 
not  go  out  in  haste,  nor  go  by  flight,  for  I  will  go  before 
them,  saith  the  Father,  and  I  will  be  their  rearward."  Ill 
Nephi  21 :29.  (Ill  Nephi  20:42-46.) 

This  work  of  establishing  a  gathering  place  by  the  "Mighty 
and  Strong  One"  is  also  the  identical  work  that  the  "One 
Mighty  and  Strong"  is  to  fulfill  in  Zion  among  the  Latter 
Day  Saints.  Our  revelation  reads:  "And  it  shall  come  to 
pass  that  I,  the  Lord  God,  will  send  one  mighty  and  strong, 
holding  the  sceptre  of  power  in  his  hand,  clothed  with  light 
for  a  covering,  whose  mouth  shall  utter  words,  eternal  words, 
while  his  bowels  shall  be  a  fountain  of  truth,  to  set  in  order 
the  House  of  God,  and  to  arrange  by  lot  the  inheritances  of 
the  Saints."  D.  C.  85:7. 

The  laying,  or  establishing,  of  this  precious  corner-stone 
has  also  its  striking  meaning  and  fulfillment  in  connection 
with  the  setting  up  of  the  Kingdom  proper.  First,  we  find 

74 


the  Lord  referring  to  the  Stake  of  Nauvoo  as  "a  corner-stone 
of  Zion."  (D.  C.  124:2,  23,  131.)  Hence,  if  one  of  the 
stakes  of  Zion  is  a  corner-stone,  then  the  center  stake  is 
indeed  a  precious  corner-stone,  and  will  be,  when  redeemed, 
a  sure  foundation,  never  to  fall. 

The  question  of  the  stone  referring  to  the  future  and 
literal  Kingdom  of  God,  as  spoken  of  by  Daniel  and  others, 
which  is  to  be  set  up  prior  to  the  coming  of  Christ,  is  further 
discussed  under  the  Chapter  on  "Kingdom."  The  reader  will 
find  in  this  chapter  quotations  from  Joseph  Smith  confirming 
the  above  statement.  The  terms  "stone"  and  "rock"  are 
used  in  the  Scriptures  in  various  places  representing  the 
Christ,  the  Gospel,  Revelations,  Stakes  of  Zion  and  future 
Kingdom.  (I  Cor.  10:4.  D.  C.  11:24.  Matt.  16:17-18. 
D.  C.  124:2.  Dan.  2:31-45.) 

It  would  appear  that  all  of  our  Shepherds  would  be  inter- 
ested in  the  building  up  of  Mount  Zion,  the  New  Jerusalem, 
which  will  be  the  redemption  of  Zion,  but  their  own  state- 
ments strongly  indicate  that  many  of  them  are  only  inter- 
ested in  Utah  and  the  present  stakes.  Inasmuch  as  our 
revelations  and  prophecies  call  for  the  redemption  of  Zion 
and  the  building  up  of  her  great  Temple  within  the  gener- 
ation of  1832,  D.C.  84:2-5),  many  inquiries  have,  of  recent 
years,  been  made  as  to  when  this  work  will  begin,  and  almost 
invariably  the  time  is  set  by  various  members  of  the  Priest- 
hood from  fifty  to  one  hundred  years  in  the  future. 

In  recent  years  this  question  was  answered  thru  the  col- 
umns of  our  Priesthood  magazine,  "The  Improvement  Era," 
stating  that  inasmuch  as  the  generation  of  John  the  Reve- 
lator  has  been  extended  to  the  present  time,  the  generation 
of  1830  may  likewise  be  extended.  The  reader  may  also  find 
on  p.  166  herein  a  statement  from  one  of  our  leading  Patri- 
archs, uttered  within  the  walls  of  one  of  our  Holy  Temples, 
placing  the  fulfillment  of  this  event  fifty  years  off. 

This  certain  portion  of  our  leaders  have  also  practically 
transferred  the  name  and  location  of  Zion  to  Utah.  It  is 
their  statements  that  are  forcing  many  of  the  Saints  to  ques- 

75 


tion  the  great  underlying  principle  behind  this  movement, 
and  they  are  asking  among  themselves,  can  it  be  possible 
that  they  fear  the  equilibrium  of  finance  would  be  affected 
if  the  Saints  should  begin  their  gathering  to  Zion? 

The  28th  Chapter  has  now  been  covered,  with  conclusive 
proof  showing  that  the  Latter  Day  Saints  have  fulfilled  it  to 
the  very  letter.  That  portion  pertaining  to  future  events 
also  has  its  complete  fulfillment  embodied  in  the  same  lan- 
guage within  the  revelations  as  given  thru  Joseph  Smith  per- 
taining to  the  Latter  Day  Saints.  Furthermore,  history  fails 
to  show  where  any  portion  of  that  chapter  has  been  fulfilled 
by  any  other  people  in  former  years.  Hence,  there  remains 
but  one  conclusion,  namely,  the  Drunkards  of  Ephraim  are 
the  Drunkards  among  the  Latter  Day  Saints  who  are  of 
Ephraim. 

In  conclusion,  the  writer  desires  to  state  that  the  above 
chapter  has  been  presented  for  the  purpose  of  showing  addi- 
tional Scriptural  proof  that  there  is  to  be  a  great  leader, 
"The  Mighty  and  Strong  One,"  to  come  forth  among  the 
Latter  Day  Saints  at  the  time  of  setting  the  House  of  God 
in  order,  and  redemption  of  Zion. 

We  now  pass  this  unpleasant  subject,  and  take  up  the 
mission  of  various  apostles  and  prophets  who  are  to  return, 
according  to  prophecy,  at  the  time  of  the  restoration  of  all 
things,  (which  is  at  our  door),  to  complete  the  building  up 
of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and  the  gathering  of  His  people. 
These  great  events  are  to  take  place  during  the  days  of 
tribulation  and  crumbling  of  nations,  just  prior  to  the  com- 
ing of  our  great  King,  Jesus  the  Christ. 

CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  BRANCH,  A  FUTURE  PROPHET 

The  prophets  whom  the  Lord  has  chosen  to  build  up  the 
Kingdom  and  lead  His  people  in  their  final  gatherings  are 
referred  to  under  various  names;  which  sometimes  designate 
their  lineage  or  mission.  The  Branch  is  referred  to  as  a 

76 


descendant  of  Jesse  and  builder  of  a  latter  day  temple;  He 
is  to  sit  upon  the  Lord's  throne  as  a  priest;  and  to  remove 
the  iniquity  of  a  certain  land  in  one  day. 

The  language  of  the  various  prophets,  who  have  spoken  of 
this  Servant,  strongly  indicates  that  he  is  to  hold  priesthood 
powers  of  high  note.  The  description  of  his  mission  parallels 
that  of  Elijah's  future  labors  more  than  that  of  David,  the 
future  king,  who  likewise  will  be  a  descendant  of  Jesse. 
Various  references  that  refer  to  the  "Branch,"  also  speak  of 
this  future  King.  We  quote: 

"I  will  gather  the  remnant  of  my  flock  out  of  all  countries 
whither  I  have  driven  them.  .  .  And  I  will  set  up  shep- 
herds over  them  which  shall  feed  them:  .  .  .  Behold, 
the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  J  will  raise  unto 
David  a  righteous  Branch,  and  a  King  shall  reign  and  pros- 
per, and  shall  execute  judgment  and  justice  in  the  earth." 
Jer.  23 :3-5. 

It  is  readily  seen  that  two  characters  are  here  mentioned; 
furthermore,  the  6th,  7th  and  8th  verses  show  clearly  that 
these  shepherds  are  to  come  at  the  time  of  the  final  gathering 
of  Israel  and  the  return  of  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes.  Again  we 
find: 

14.  "Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will 
perform  that  good  thing  which  I  have  promised  unto  the 
house  of  Israel  and  to  the  house  of  Judah.  15.  In  those 
days,  and  at  that  time,  will  I  cause  the  Branch  of  righteous- 
ness to  grow  up  unto  David;  and  he  shall  execute  judgment 
and  righteousness  in  the  land.  16.  In  those  days  shall 
Judah  be  saved,  and  Jerusalem  shall  dwell  safely:  and  this 
is  the  name  wherewith  she"  (Jerusalem)  "shall  be  called, 
The  Lord  our  righteousness.  17.  For  thus  saith  the  Lord; 
David  shall  never  want  a  man  to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  the 
house  of  Israel:  18.  Neither  shall  the  priest,  the  Levites, 
want  a  man  before  me  to  offer  burnt  offerings,  .  .  .  and 
to  do  sacrifice  continually."  Jer.  33:14-18. 

We  here  have  the  two  characters  mentioned  again.  Verses 
14  to  16  referring  to  the  Branch;  the  17th  to  David,  the 

77 


future  King;  and  the  18th,  being  a  continuation  of  the  mis- 
sion of  the  Branch.  These  verses  clearly  show  that  the 
Branch  is  to  labor  as  a  leader  among  the  Priesthood,  and 
David  as  a  civil  head,  like  David  of  old.  (See  division, 
"David  the  Future  King.") 

The  Prophet  Zechariah  informs  us  that  the  Branch  is  to 
build  a  future  temple,  and  stand  at  the  head  of  the  Priest- 
hood. In  other  words,  he  is  to  sit  as  a  priest  and  rule  in 
that  capacity  in  the  Lord's  kingdom  when  it  is  established  in 
its  fullness,  and  there  is  to  be  peace  and  harmony  between 
him  and  the  Lord : 

"Thus  speaketh  the  Lord  of  hosts,  saying,  Behold  the  man 
whose  name  is  The  Branch;  and  he  shall  grow  up  out  of  his 
place,  and  he  shall  build  the  temple  of  the  Lord:  Even  he 
shall  build  the  Temple  of  the  Lord;  and  he  shall  bear  the 
glory,  and  shall  sit  and  rule  upon  his  throne;  and  he  shall 
be  a  priest  upon  his  throne;  and  the  counsel  of  peace  shall 
be  between  them  both. 

"15.  And  they  that  are  far  off  shall  come  and  build  in 
the  temple  of  the  Lord,  and  ye  shall  know  that  the  Lord  of 
Hosts  hath  sent  me  unto  you.  And  this  shall  some  to  pass, 
if  he  will  diligently  obey  the  voice  of  the  Lord  your  God." 
Zech.  6:12-13,  15. 

The  coming  of  a  people  from  afar  off  to  build  in  this  tem- 
ple, evidently  the  great  future  temple  in  Zion,  will  no  doubt 
include  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes;  for  the  fourth  chapter  of  Isaiah, 
unquestionably,  connects  the  mission  of  the  Branch  with  that 
of  the  final  gathering  of  Israel.  Isaiah  also  refers  to  his 
lineage  as  being  a  descendant  of  Jesse.  We  quote: 

"And  there  shall  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  stem  of 
Jesse,"  (Jesus  Christ  the  stem,  D.  C.  113:1-4)  "and  a  Branch 
shall  grow  out  of  his  roots."  Isa.  11:1. 

No  effort  will  be  made  to  connect  up  the  mission  of  the 
prophet  who  is  referred  to  as  the  "Branch"  with  those  with 
whom  we  are  acquainted,  who  have  a  future  mission  to  fulfil 
in  building  up  the  Kingdom  of  God  just  prior  to  the  coming 
of  Christ.  However,  attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  the 

78 


mission  of  Elijah  is  similar  to  that  of  the  Branch; 

(1)  Elijah  is  to  come  back  and  restore  the  fullness  of 
the  priesthood,  which  will  include  the  ordinance  of  sacrifice, 
(J.  S.  T.,  p.   120-1;  C.  H.,  Vol.  4,  p.   211;  Comp.,  p.  272, 
Gems.) 

(2)  Elijah  is  to  return  and  build  up  the  Kingdom  and  a 
Temple  to  its  capstone.     (Comp.,  p.  283.     Spirit  of  Messiah, 
C.  H.,  Vol.  6,  p.  249,  given  March  10,  1844.) 

(3)  In  building  up  the  Kingdom,  it  will  necessitate  the 
removal    of    iniquity    from    that    certain    land;    which    will 
require  Priesthood  power  of  worthy  note.     This  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  mission   of  the  "Mighty  and   Strong  One." 
The  Prophet  Zechariah  informs  us  that  this  work  will  be 
done  by  the  Branch  at  or  near  the  time  of  the  great  reign 
of  peace.      (3:8-10.)      (D.  C.  85:6-9.) 

(4)  Elijah  is  to  hold  the  highest  priesthood  powers  of 
those  among  whom  he  is  to  labor  in  building  up  Zion  and 
the  Kingdom;  therefore,  he  will  sit  and  rule  as  a  priest  in 
that   kingdom.     If   the   reader  will   consider   David   as   the 
future  civil  head,  and  Elijah  as  the  future  ecclesiastical  head, 
which  indeed  they  will  be,  it  may  assist  in  solving  the  prob- 
lem   of    applying    these    various    scriptures    to    the    proper 
individuals. 

Then  again,  if  we  consider  the  mighty  works  that  Elijah 
did  in  former  days,  in  calling  down  fire  from  heaven,  once 
to  consume  the  sacrifice,  which  the  450  prophets  of  Baal  had 
failed  to  do  (I  Kings  18th  chapter)  ;  the  consuming  of  the 
102  soldiers;  the  producing  of  a  famine,  followed  by  a  great 
rain;  the  raising  of  the  dead  (17:17-24),  all  at  his  command, 
and  last  of  all  his  wonderful  ascension  in  a  chariot  of  fire  (II 
Kings,  first  and  second  chapters),  it  will  tend  to  assist  in 
comprehending  the  magnitude  of  his  future  priesthood 
powers. 

The  fact  that  Peter,  James  and  John  the  Baptist  were  able 
to  come  back  and  restore  their  Priesthood,  although  they 
had  previously  passed  thru  death,  is  ample  evidence  within 
itself,  to  prove  that  Elijah's  latter  day  work  includes  more 

79 


than  his  appearance  in  the  Kirtland  temple  in  1836  to  restore 
the  ordinances  for  the  dead.  Joseph  Smith  once  said  that 
"translated  bodies  are  designed  for  future  missions."  The 
translation  of  Elijah  and  the  sanctification  of  John  the  Rev- 
elator,  and  the  three  Nephites,  according  to  the  scriptures, 
was  essential  in  order  for  them  to  labor  openly  among  men 
in  the  latter  days.  (Ill  Nephi  28:1-40.) 

In  concluding  on  the  Branch,  we  refer  again  to  Isa.  11:1, 
wherein  the  Rod,  the  Stem  of  Jesse  (Jesus  Christ),  and  the 
Branch  are  mentioned,  and  by  reasoning  that  the  Branch  and 
the  Rod  are  two  separate  persons,  then  Elijah  cannot  be  the 
Rod,  for  the  Rod  is  to  come  from  the  Stem;  but  there  is  no 
evidence  to  show  that  Elijah  cannot  fulfil  the  future  mission 
of  the  "Branch,"  and  the  "One  Mighty  and  Strong."  As 
far  as  we  now  know,  Elijah  is  to  hold  the  senior  membership 
in  the  Priesthood  when  he  comes. 

We  now  pass  to  the  great  future  mission  of  the  Apostle 
John. 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  FUTURE  ELIAS 
JOHN  THE  APOSTLE  AND  REVELATOR 

Jesus,  the  Christ,  after  seeing  his  mission  rejected  by  the 
Jews,  made  this  prediction,  "Ye  shall  not  see  me  henceforth, 
till  ye  shall  say,  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord."  Math.  23:39. 

Likewise  will  it  be  with  the  Apostle  John  when  he  returns, 
according  to  prophecy,  to  complete  his  glorious  and  mighty 
mission  of  gathering  the  righteous  of  the  House  of  Israel, 
as  well  as  the  Gentiles,  to  the  lands  of  their  inheritance. 
For  the  hour  of  their  deliverance  and  redemption  will  be  at 
a  time  of  trouble  and  distress  among  nations.  (D.  C. 
63:32-37.)  This  condition  now  exists,  and  the  plagues  of 
destruction  will  continue  to  humble  them  for  their  wicked 
ways;  then  will  his  mighty  leadership  and  power  to  establish 
Zion  of  America  and  Jerusalem  of  Palestine,  as  places  of 

80 


refuge  from  storm,  be  hailed  with  joy,  so  unlike  that  of 
former  days,  wherein  men  sought  to  put  him  to  death. 
(Rev.  1:9.) 

The  historian  Fox  has  handed  down  the  following  infor- 
mation concerning  John:  "He  was  ordered  by  Emperor 
Domitian  to  be  sent  bound  to  Rome,  where  he  was  condemned 
to  be  cast  into  a  cauldron  of  boiling  oil.  But  here  a  miracle 
appeared  in  his  favor;  the  oil  did  him  no  injury,  and  Domi- 
tian, therefore,  not  being  able  to  put  him  to  death,  banished 
him  to  Patmos,  to  work  at  the  mines.  He  was,  however, 
recalled  by  Nerva,  who  succeeded  Domitian;  but  was  deemed 
a  martyr  on  account  of  his  having  undergone  an  execution, 
though  it  did  not  take  effect."  Fox's  Book  of  Martyrs, 
page  19. 

His  life  was  spared  for  the  reason  that  the  Lord  had  a 
great  future  mission  for  him  to  perform.  Some  claim  that 
1  because  John  came  with  Peter  and  James  to  Joseph  Smith 
in  1829,  to  restore  the  Melchisedek  priesthood,  that  he  is, 
therefore,  not  to  come  again.  We  will  admit  that  he  came, 
but  so  did  Moroni  come  and  deliver  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  yet  he  is  to  come  again  and  bring  the  sealed  part  of 
that  Book,  for  the  reason  that  he  holds  "the  keys  of  the 
record  of  the  stick  of  Ephraim."  D.  C.  27:5. 

Then  there  is  Elijah,  who  came  to  the  Kirtland  Temple 
on  April  3,  1836,  and  restored  the  Authority  and  Keys 
(power  and  knowledge)  for  the  Work  of  the  Dead  (D.  C. 
27:9;  110:13-16.),  yet  we  are  told  by  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  that  he  is  to  come  again  and  restore  the  ordinance  of 
sacrifice,  as  well  as  the  higher  powers  and  keys  of  the  Priest- 
hood, and  build  up  the  kingdom.  [C.  H.  Vol.  4,  p.  207,  J.  S. 
T.,  page  120  and  34-35  (given  October  5,  1840).  C.  H., 
Vol.  6,  p.  249  (given  March  10,  1844).  See  Elijah,  Chap. 
IV.]  Then,  too,  there  is  Adam,  who  came  to  Joseph  Smith 
(D.  C.  128:  20-21),  yet  we  are  told  by  the  prophets  that  he 
is  to  come  again  before  the  Lord  comes.  Joseph  Smith  said : 

"Daniel,  in  his  seventh  chapter,  speaks  of  the  Ancient  of 
Days;  he  means  the  oldest  man,  our  Father  Adam,  Michael, 

81 


he  will  call  his  children  together  and  hold  a  council  with 
them  to  prepare  them  for  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man. 
He  (Adam)  is  the  father  of  the  human  family,  and  presides 
over  the  spirits  of  all  men,  and  all  that  have  had  the  keys 
must  stand  before  him  in  this  grand  council.  This  may  take 
place  before  some  of  us  leave  this  stage  of  action."  J.  S. 
T.,  page  122.  (C.  H.  Vol.  3,  p.  385.  Dan.  7:9-14.  12:1-4.) 
From  these  references,  we  can  see  that  John  can  re- 
turn the  second  time,  providing  his  mission  has  not  been 
finished,  and  indeed  it  has  not  been  completed  as  we  shall 
set  forth  in  this  volume.  His  mission  was  shown  to  him  on 
the  Isle  of  Patmos,  and  it  is  further  explained  in  D.  &  C. 
as  follows: 

"What  are  we  to  understand  by  the  little  book  which  was 
eaten  by  John,  as  mentioned  in  the  Tenth  Chapter  of  Reve- 
lations? We  are  to  understand  that  it  was  a  mission,  and 
an  ordinance,  for  him  to  gather  the  Tribes  of  Israel;  be- 
hold, this  is  Elias;  who,  as  it  is  written,  must  come  and  re- 
store all  things."  D.  C.  77:  14. 

John's  first  coming  was  in  1829,  and  the  above  revelation 
was  given  in  March,  1832,  and  we  all  know  that  he  did  not 
come  in  the  capacity  of  the  Elias,  as  all  things  have  not 
been  restored,  nor  did  he  gather  Israel.  Therefore,  he  is 
to  come  again  and  complete  his  mission. 

We  are  told  by  Nephi  that  in  the  Latter  Days  when  the 
Lord  begins  His  work  of  preparing  the  honest  in  heart  in 
order  that  He  may  gather  them,  that  the  work  will  begin 
amongst  us,  as  well  as  amongst  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes.  (III. 
Nephi  21:26-29.)  The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  has  informed 
us,  through  the  spirit  of  prophecy  (1831).  (The  historian 
tells  us  that  "the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  fell  upon  Joseph  in  an 
unusual  manner,"  on  this  occasion)  "that  John  the  Revela- 
tor  was  then  among  the  Ten  Tribes  of  Isarel  who  had  been 
led  away  by  Salmanasser,  king  of  Assyria,  preparing  them 
for  their  return  from  their  long  dispersion,  to  again  possess 
the  land  of  their  fathers."  (C.  H.  Vol.  L,  p.  176.)  There- 
fore, when  he  completes  his  mission  among  those  people, 

82 


we  may  expect  his  appearance  among  us.  One  of  the  records 
relative  to  John's  future  mission  was  written  by  himself. 
We  quote: 

"Peter  seeing  him  saith  to  Jesus,  Lord,  and  what  shall 
this  man  do?  Jesuh  saith  unto  him,  If  I  will  that  he  tarry 
till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee?  Follow  thou  me.  Then 
went  this  saying  abroad  among  the  brethren,  that  the  dis- 
ciple should  not  die:  yet  Jesus  said  not  unto  him,  He  shall 
not  die;  but,  if  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that 
to  thee?"  John  21:21-23. 

It  is  true  the  Lord  did  not  say  that  John  would  not  die; 
for  all  men,  at  the  close  of  their  earthly  mission,  will  die, 
but  the  preserving  of  John's  life  is  in  fulfillment  of  the 
Lord's  statement  wherein  He  informs  them  (the  twelve) 
that  some  of  them  would  live  to  see  the  coming  of  the  Son 
of  Man  to  His  Kingdom.  (Mark  8:41-44.  Inspired  Trans- 
lation.) 

Reason  tells  us  that  there  was  absolutely  no  necessity  for 
John  to  tarry  in  order  to  restore  the  Priesthood  in  the  Lat- 
ter Days,  for  Peter,  James  and  John  the  Baptist  had  all 
passed  thru  death  at  the  time  when  they  came  in  1829  to 
Joseph  Smith  to  restore  their  Priesthood.  John  is  not  the 
only  one  that  has  been  left  in  a  translated  condition,  for 
there  are  three  other  men  whose  bodies  are  sanctified  and 
are  to  tarry,  and  they  likewise  are  to  perform  a  great  future 
work  and  no  doubt  will  labor  in  conjunction  with  him.  They 
are  called  the  Three  Nephites. 

Just  before  the  Lord  left  the  Nephite  twelve  (apostles) 
of  ancient  America,  He  asked  them  their  desires,  and  nine 
of  them  requested  that  they  might  be  permitted  to  come 
to  His  kingdom  after  they  had  lived  to  the  age  of  man ;  but 
three  of  them  held  their  peace,  and  the  record  says: 

"And  they  sorrowed  in  their  hearts,  for  they  durst  not 
speak  unto  him  the  thing  which  they  desired.  And  he  said 
unto  them,  Behold,  I  know  your  thoughts,  and  ye  have  de- 
sired the  thing  .which  John,  my  beloved,  .  .  .  desired 
of  me;  therefore,  more  blessed  are  ye,  for  ye  shall  never 

83 


taste  of  death,  but  ye  shall  live  to  behold  all  the  doings  of 
the  Father,  unto  the  children  of  men,  even  until  all  things 
shall  be  fulfilled,  .  .  .  And  ye  shall  never  endure 
the  pain  of  death;  but  when  I  shall  come  in  my  glory,  ye 
shall  be  changed  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  from  mortality 
to  immortality."  Ill  Nephi.  28  5-8,  18-40. 

The  above  expression  "more  blessed  are  ye,"  signified  that 
their  blessing  was  to  be  greater  than  that  received  by  the 
other  nine  Nephites.  The  full  statement  of  the  Lord  in  re- 
gard to  John  was  written  down  by  himself,  but  this  record 
we  do  not  possess;  however,  Joseph  Smith  was  permitted  to 
see  it  thru  the  Urim  and  Thummim;  and  he  gives  us  the 
following  translation.  (C.  H.  Vol.  1,  p.  35-36.) 

"And  the  Lord  said  unto  me,  John,  my  beloved,  what  de- 
sirest  thou?  For  if  ye  shall  ask,  what  you  will,  it  shall  be 
granted  unto  you.  And  I  said  unto  Him,  Lord,  give  unto 
me  power  over  death,  that  I  may  live  and  bring  souls  unto 
Thee.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  me,  'Verily,  Verily,  I  say 
unto  thee,  because  thou  desirest  this  thou  shall  tarry  until 
I  come  in  my  glory,  and  shall  prophecy  before  nations,  kin- 
dred tongues  and  people.  And  for  this  cause,  the  Lord 
said  unto  Peter,  If  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is 
that  to  thee?  for  he  desired  of  me  that  he  might  bring  souls 
unto  me,  but  thou  desiredst  that  thou  mightest  speedily 
come  unto  me  in  my  kingdom. 

"I  say  unto  thee,  Peter,  this  was  a  good  desire,  but  my 
beloved  has  desired  that  he  might  do  more,  or  a  greater 
work  yet  among  men  than  what  he  has  before  done;  Yea,  he 
has  undertaken  a  greater  work,  therefore  I  will  make  him 
as  flaming  fire  and  a  ministering  angel;  he  shall  minister 
for  those  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation  who  dwell  on  the 
earth:  And  I  will  make  thee  to  minister  for  him  and  for 
thy  brother  James;  and  unto  you  three  I  will  give  this  power 
and  the  keys  of  this  ministry  until  I  come.  Verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  ye  shall  both  have  according  to  your  desires,  for 
ye  both  joy  in  that  which  ye  have  desired."  D.  C.  7: 1-8. 

Is  it  necessary  to  give  further  quotations  to  prove  that 

84 


John  was  to  tarry,  and  that  his  future  mission  is  to  be 
greater  than  his  former?  Surely  not.  The  records  show 
that  he  with  Peter  and  James  were  the  pillars  of  the  Church 
of  former  days,  (Gal.  2:9),  but  his  banishment  to  the  Island 
of  Patmos  practically  closed  his  mission  in  the  Church; 
hence,  we  may  look  for  this  greater  work  to  be  accomplished 
during  his  future  mission. 

Peter  shall  minister  unto  him,  therefore,  he  will  have  the 
support  of  the  highest  man  in  authority  who  has  been  or- 
dained since  the  days  of  Christ's  mission  on  earth,  and  who, 
with  James  and  John,  holds  the  keys  of  Christ's  ministry 
of  this  dispensation,  as  well  as  the  former.  (D.  C.  27:  12- 
13;  Mat.  16:  15-19.) 

The  argument  that  John's  mission  and  rights  of  holding 
the  keys  of  the  kingdom  and  ministry  did  terminate  in  1820 
at  the  appearing  of  Jesus  Christ  to  Joseph  Smith,  as  claimed 
by  some  of  the  Elders  of  the  Church  in  their  efforts  to  bury 
John's  future  mission,  falls  short,  for  he  is  to  hold  this 
power  until  the  Lord  comes  in  His  glory.  Furthermore,  we 
find  Peter,  James  and  John  coming  to  Joseph  Smith  nine 
ye^rs  later  and  bestowing  the  Higher  Priesthood. 

We  also  cite  the  fact  that  when  John  the  Baptist  came 
and  bestowed  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  in  1829,  he  testified 
that  he  was  acting  under  the  direction  of  Peter,  James  and 
John,  who  held  the  Keys  of  the  Dispensation  of  the  Fullness 
of  Times.  (C.  H.  Vol.  1,  p.  40.  P.  of  G.  P.,  Chap.  2,  Verse 
72.)  The  records  show  that  in  each  dispensation  where  the 
Lord  has  organized  His  Church,  He  has  ordained  twelve 
apostles  for  that  particular  dispensation.  But  the  authority 
of  the  apostles  of  the  Lamb  exceeds  them  all,  for  the  Lord 
has  said: 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  .  .  .  that  mine 
apostles,  the  Twelve,  .  .  .  shall  stand  at  my  right 
hand  at  the  day  of  my  coming,  in  a  pillar  of  fire, 
to  judge  the  whole  house  of  Israel."  (D.  C.  29:  12.)  This 
judging  will  include  the  twelve  disciples  of  the  Nephites,  as 
well  as  the  apostles  of  our  Church  today;  if  not,  then  we  are 

85 


not  of  Israel.  (I  Nephi.  12:9.)  Furthermore,  unto  three 
of  them  has  been  given  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  and  minis- 
try until  the  end  of  the  world: 

"And  also  with  Peter,  James  and  John,  whom  I  have  sent 
unto  you,  by  whom  I  have  ordained  you,  and  confirmed  you 
to  be  apostles,  and  especial  witnesses  of  my  name,  and  bear 
the  keys  of  your  ministry,  and  of  the  same  things  which  I 
revealed  unto  them :  Unto  whom  I  have  committed  the  keys 
of  my  kingdom,  and  a  dispensation  of  the  gospel  for  the 
last  time;  and  for  the  fullness  of  times,  in  the  which  I  will 
gather  together  in  one  all  things,  both  which  are  in  heaven, 
and  which  are  on  earth."  D.  C.  27:  12-13,  given  Sept.,  1830. 

From  this  we  learn  that  John,  as  well  as  Peter  and  James, 
is  still  in  authority.  Therefore,  John  has  the  right  and 
authority  to  come  and  labor  amongst  us  as  our  head  and 
leader,  and  fulfil  the  latter  part  of  his  mission  which  the 
Lord  has  set  him  apart  to  perform;  this  conclusive  evidence 
will  withstand  the  opinions  of  men. 

Another  point  gathered  from  the  last  two  references 
quoted  is  that  the  Lord  has  used  specific  language  to  estab- 
lish the  fact  that  the  "Keys  of  His  ministry,7'  as  well  as  .the 
"Keys  of  His  kingdom,"  have  been  given  to  these  three 
apostles,  and  to  them  only;  though  it  is  true  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  a  mighty  prophet,  and  did  establish  the  Church 
in  these  Latter  Days;  as  the  Lord  has  said,  "Which  founda- 
tion he  did  lay."  (D.  C.  136:38.)  This  honor  and  authority 
was  likewise  given  unto  Peter,  James  and  John  in  former 
days,  as  well  as  the  latter  days,  and,  in  addition  to  this,  they 
form  the  presiding  quorum  which  shall  judge  the  whole 
House  of  Israel,  as  well  as  hold  the  Keys  of  the  Kingdom  of 
all  generations  from  that  day,  until  the  coming  of  Christ. 

Furthermore,  inasmuch  as  Peter  and  James  have  passed 
beyond  the  grave,  there  remains  but  one  who  holds  this 
power;  but  with  Peter  ministering  unto  him,  as  previously 
quoted,  it  gives  John  the  authority  of  the  full  quorum  on 
earth.  The  rights  of  the  Priesthood  which  he  will  hold  when 
he  comes  to  labor  amongst  us  lie  in  the  fact  that  he  has  not 

86 


seen  death,  and  so  still  belongs  to  this  world;  therefore,  he 
will  be  the  senior  member  of  our  Priesthood  and  in  direct 
communication  with  the  throne  of  God.  This  authority  will 
place  him  in  a  postion  to  act  as  our  head,  having  the  knowl- 
edge, experience,  sanctification  and  authority  to  gather  out 
the  righteous  and  seal  them  up  unto  eternal  life.  (See 
Chapter  VI.  herein.) 

It  pains  us  to  hear  our  fellow  brethren  declare  that  "if 
John  does  come,  he  must  be  set  apart  by  the  presiding  au- 
thorities of  the  Church  to  perform  his  mission,  before  he  can 
cake  an  active  hand  in  the  governmental  affairs  of  the 
Church."  The  writer  is  lost  to  find  words  to  express  his 
protest  to  such  doctrine  which  the  Priests  and  Prophets  of 
our  day  are  teaching.  Sufficient  to  say  that  they  are  trust- 
ing in  carnal  security  (II  Nephi.  28:  1-21,  24-25)  and  have 
overlooked  the  fact  that  we  hold  this  authority  of  the  Priest- 
hood not  separately,  but  in  connection  with  the  apostles  and 
prophets  of  old. 

"For  unto  you  (the  Twelve)  and  those  (the  First  Presi- 
dency) ...  is  the  power  of  the  Priesthood  given, 
Which  power  you  hold  in  connection  with  all  those 
who  have  received  a  dispensation  at  any  time  from  the  be- 
gining  of  the  creation."  D.  C.  112:30-31. 

Holy  Writ  proclaims  that  there  is  a  future  prophet  to 
come  and  labor  among  men,  under  the  title  of  "The  Elias 
that  is  to  restore  all  things."  Inasmuch  as  it  has  been  re- 
vealed thru  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  that  John  the  Revela- 
tor  is  to  be  this  future  Elias,  we  may  now  comprehensively 
analyze  the  passages  referring  to  his  coming. 

THE  SPIRIT  OF  ELIAS 

The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Great  Prophet  Elias;  and 
when  he  sends  a  prophet  filled  with  His  spirit,  for  a  special 
mission  of  restoring  His  gospel,  and  to  pave  the  way  for 
greater  things,  He  calls  him  an  Elias.  These  special  prophets 
also  act  as  Christ's  forerunners,  to  open  and  pave  the  way 
for  His  coming.  This  is  in  harmony  with  the  Inspired 

87 


Translation,  (a)  wherein  we  are  told  that  the  Prophet  Elias 
is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Elias  being  one  of  his  names. 
We  quote: 

"John  answered  them,  saying,  I  baptize  with  water,  but 
there  standeth  one  among  you,  whom  ye  know  not;  He  it 
is  of  whom  I  bear  record.  He  is  the  prophet,  even  Elias, 
who,  coming  after  me,  is  preferred  before  me, 
for  he  shall  baptize,  not  only  with  water,  but  with  fire  and 
with  Holy  Ghost."  John  1 :  27-28. 

John  the  Baptist  was  one  of  these  special  prophets  and 
was  filled  with  the  spirit  of  Elias.  (Luke  1:13-17,  D.  C. 
27:7.)  We  also  find,  in  a  revelation  given  in  1832  to 
Joseph  Smith  by  way  of  explanation  of  a  portion  of  the 
Book  of  Revelation,  the  following  quotation  concerning 
John  the  Revelator;  wherein  we  are  plainly  informed  that 
he  is  the  great  Elias  referred  to  in  the  Scriptures,  who  is 
yet  to  come  and  restore  all  things: 

"What  are  we  to  understand  by  the  little  book  which  was 
eaten  by  John,  as  mentioned  in  the  Tenth  Chapter  of  Reve- 
lation? We  are  to  understand  that  it  was  a  mission,  and 
an  ordinance,  for  him  to  gather  the  tribes  of  Israel;  behold, 
this  is  Elias;  who,  as  it  is  written,  must  come  and  restore 
all  things."  D.  C.  77:14. 

The  coming  of  this  future  Elias,  John  the  Revelator,  is 
also  mentioned  in  the  Inspired  Translation,  and  is  so  strik- 
ing in  its  plainness  that  no  avenue  of  doubt  is  left  open. 

"And  as  they  came  down  from  the  mountain,  Jesus 
charged  them,  saying,  Tell  the  vision  to  no  man,  until  the 
Son  of  Man  be  risen  again  from  the  dead.  And  His  disciples 
asked  him,  saying,  Why  then  say  the  Scribes  that  Elias  must 
first  come?  And  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  them,  Elias 
truly  shall  first  come,  and  restore  all  things,  as  the  prophets 

FOOT  NOTE:  (a)  Joseph  Smith  was  commanded  by  the 
Lord  to  translate  the  Bible  thru  the  gift  and  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  We  quote: 

"And  now,  behold  I  say  unto  you,  it  shall  not  be  given 
unto  you  to  know  any  further  concerning  this  chapter,  until 

88 


the  New  Testament  be  translated,  and  in  it  all  these  things 
shall  be  made  known;  Wherefore  I  give  unto  you  that  ye 
may  now  translate  it,  that  ye  may  be  prepared  for  the  things 
to  come;  For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  great  things  await 
you.".  D.  C.  45:60-62. 

The  Lord  intended  that  this  translation  should  go  unto  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth.  For  He  said: 

"If  he"  (Williams)  "will  do  my  will,  let  him  from  hence- 
forth hearken  to  the  counsel  of  my  servant  Joseph,  and  with 
his  interest  support  the  cause  of  the  poor  and  publish  the 
new  translation  of  my  holy  word  unto  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth."  D.  C.  124:89. 

It  was  also  Joseph  Smith's  desire  that  this  book  should  go 
to  the  world,  and  in  one  volume: 

"It  is  not  the  will  of  the  Lord  to  print  any  of  the  New 
Translation  in  the  "Millennial"  Star,  but  when  it  is  published, 
it  will  all  go  to  the  world  together,  in  a  volume  by  itself,  and 
the  New  Testament  and  the  Book  of  Mormon  will  be  printed 
together."  C.  H.  Vol.  1,  P.  341.  In  a  foot  note  of  same 
volume,  Page  324,  we  find  the  following: 

"It  was  the  intention  of  the  Prophet  to  have  this  revised 
version  of  the  Scriptures,  which  he  had  made  with  such  labor- 
ious care,  published  in  Zion,  at  the  printing  establishment  of 
the  Church  in  that  place." 

This  translation  was  completed  by  Joseph  Smith,  although 
we  often  hear  members  of  our  Priesthood  deny  this  fact.  He 
states : 

"I  completed  the  translation  and  review  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, on  the  second  of  February,  1833,  and  sealed  it  up  no 
more  to  be  opened  until  it  arrived  in  Zion."  (C.  H.  Vol.  1, 
P.  324.) 

This  translation  when  completed  was  as  perfect  as  the  Lord 
would  permit;  however,  it  was  the  prophet's  desire  that  he 
should  be  permitted  to  bring  out  the  remainder  of  lost  scrip- 
tures in  a  future  revision,  but  he  never  lived  to  complete  this 
last  desire.  (Life  of  Joseph  Smith,  by  C.  Q.  Cannon,  P.  142; 
C.  H.  Vol.  1,  P.  324.) 

89 


With  the  above  references,  which  number  only  a  few  of  the 
quotations  which  could  be  used  if  space  permitted,  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  Lord's  desire  was  that  this  book  should  be  used 
by  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth.  But  we  find  that  after  the 
death  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  the  manuscript  was  left 
in  the  hands  of  his  wife,  Emma.  In  the  spring  of  1866  it 
was  turned  over  to  Joseph  Smith,  their  oldest  son,  who  became 
the  President  of  the  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
L.  D.  S. 

This  organization,  which  branched  off  from  the  main  body 
of  the  church  previous  to  1866,  has  printed  and  adopted  this 
sacred  volume  as  one  of  their  standard  works  in  preference  to 
the  King  James  translation,  whereas  the  Utah  Mormons,  the 
possessors  of  the  lawful  priesthood  body  of  the  Church,  are 
prohibiting  the  Elders  from  using  this  book  officially  in  a 
public  capacity.  (The  writer  of  these  lines  tt/i*s  once  sharply 
criticised  by  the  President  of  the  California  Mission,  for 
pointing  out  the  vast  difference,  plainness  and  additional  quo- 
tations that  he  had  found  by  comparing  it  with  that  of  the 
King  James  version.) 

The  reason  for  rejecting  the  Inspired  Translation,  which 
was  brought  forth  by  the  gift  and  power  of  God,  the  writer 
has  reasons  to  believe,  is  because  it  is  too  plain  on  some  points 
of  doctrine,  which  the  Church  is  not  teaching  in  these  last 
years;  for  example,  the  Mighty  and  Glorious  Mission  of  the 
Future  Ellas. 

We  also  note  that  Mark  9:3  (I.  T.)  informs  us  that  it  was 
John  the  Baptist  and  Moses  who  appeared  on  the  Mount  of 
Transfiguration.  To  our  surprise,  James  E.  Talmage,  one 
of  the  apostles  of  the  Church,  in  his  book  recently  published, 
"Jesus  the  Christ,"  (P.  371)  states  that  it  was  Moses  and 
Elijah  who  appeared.  This  is  not  the  language  of  the  Word 
of  God.  Apostle  Talmage's  conclusion  is  evidently  based  on 
the  grounds  that  the  name  of  Elias  and  Elijah  have  been 
translated,  in  some  places,  as  interchangeable;  therefore,  in 
this  case,  it  should  be  Elijah.  From  our  modern  revelations 
we  learn  that  the  two  names  should  never  be  used  interchange- 

90 


ably,  and  that  King  James  translation  of  Mark  9:3-4  is  cor- 
rect. Then  again,  he  may  have  had  in  mind  the  possibility 
that  Elijah  restored  the  temple  ordinances  for  the  work  of 
the  dead  at  that  time;  but  the  records  fail  to  furnish  a  single 
verse  to  substantiate  this  assumption.  It  is  true  that  Peter 
said  on  this  occasion,  let  us  build  three  tabernacles,  but  we 
are  also  told  that  he  was  so  excited  that  he  did  not  know 
what  he  was  saying.  (Luke  9 :33.) 

The  reason  for  rejecting  this  translation,  as  offered  by  the 
members  of  our  Priesthood,  is  that  they  believe  the  Reorgan- 
ized Church  changed  the  manuscript  before  they  published  the 
book,  but  with  this  assumption,  they  have  failed  to  produce 
one  thread  of  evidence  to  substantiate  their  charge;  nor  can 
they  disprove  a  single  verse  found  therein. 

have  written.  And  again  I  say  unto  you  that  Elias  has  come 
already,  concerning  whom  it  is  written,  Behold,  I  will  send 
my  messenger,  and  he  shall  prepare  the  way  before  me;  and 
they  knew  him  not  and  have  done  unto  him,  whatsoever 
they  listed.  Likewise  shall  the  Son  of  Man  suffer  of  them. 
But  I  say  unto  you,  Who  is  Elias?  Behold,  this  is  Elias, 
whom  I  sent  to  prepare  the  way  before  me.  Then  the  dis- 
ciples understood  that  He  spake  unto  them  of  John  the 
Baptist,  AND  ALSO  OF  ANOTHER  who  should  come  and 
restore  all  things,  as  it  is  written  by  the  prophets."  Math. 
17:8-14,  I.  T. 

Of  the  various  arguments  and  theories  that  have  been 
.advanced  by  members  of  our  Priesthood  in  their  efforts  to 
bury  the  mission  of  John,  one  is  they  have  claimed  that 
Joseph  Smith  was  this  Elias  who  was  to  come  and  restore 
all  things;  but  we  beg  to  differ. 

(1)  Joseph  Smith  never  claimed  to  be  this  Elias. 

(2)  He  has  acknowledged  John  the  Revelator  to  be  this 
Elias  who  is  to  come  and  restore  all  things  and  gather  Israel, 
by  his  statement  as  recorded  in  D.  C.  77:  14.     In  this  revela- 
tion the  Lord  has  also  declared  that  this  future  Elias  is  to 
be  John  the  Revelator. 

91 


(3)  He  testified  October  5,  1840,  that  he  did  not  restore 
all  things,  and  that  the  ordinance  of  sacrifices  was  yet  to  be 
restored,  as  well  as  the  fullness  of  the  Priesthood.      (Comp. 
p.  272-3,  Sacrifice  to  be  restored.    C.  H.  Vol.  4,  p.  207,  J.  S. 
T.,  p.  119-121) 

(4)  The   Lord  never   sent  him  to   complete   this  work, 
but  to  lay  the  foundation,  "Which  foundation  he  did  lay, 
and  was  faithful  and  I  took  him  to  myself."     D.  C.  136:  38. 

We  have  still  another  Elias  referred  to  in  D.  C.  27:6-7: 

"And  also  with  Elias,  to  whom  I  have  committed  the  keys 
of  bringing  to  pass  the  restoration  of  all  things,  spoken  by 
the  mouth  of  all  the  holy  prophets  since  the  world  began, 
concerning  the  last  days;  and  also  John,  the  Son  of  Zecharias, 
which  Zecharias  he  (Elias)  visited  and  gave  promise  that 
he  should  have  a  son,  and  his  name  should  be  John,  and 
he  should  be  filled  with  the  spirit  of  Elias." 

Now,  it  is  readily  seen  that  this  Elias,  who  appeared  unto 
Zecharias,  as  above  referred  to,  is  not  John  the  Baptst,  nor 
John  the  Revelator,  for  the  reason  that  neither  of  them 
were  born  at  that  time.  If  we  go  to  history  to  find  a  prophet 
by  the  personal  name  of  Elias,  we  are  lost,  for  there  is  no 
record  of  such  a  prophet  to  be  found.  Some  records  show 
the  name  of  Elias  translated  interchangeably  with  Elijah, 
but  this  should  not  be,  for  the  two  were  never  the  same. 

For  example,  in  Luke  4:25,  and  James  5:17,  Elias  is 
referred  to  as  being  the  Prophet  who  closed  the  heavens, 
thus  preventing  rain  for  three  years  and  six  months;  but, 
by  reading  the  17th  and  18th  Chapters  of  I  Kings,  we  learn 
that  this  wa's  Elijah.  Note  17:1  with  Reference  Note  5, 
wherein  we  are  told  that  Elijah  is  referred  to  as  Elias  in 
Luke  4:25,  (also  Note  I  Kings  18:  1-2,  42-45  verses). 
Joseph  Smith  informs  us  that  the  Prophet  Aaron  also  held 
the  office  and  calling  of  Elias.  We  quote: 

"The  spirit  of  Elias  is  to  prepare  the  way  for  a  greater 
revelation  of  God,  which  is  the  Priesthood  of  Elias,  or  the 
Priesthood  that  Aaron  was  ordained  unto.  And  when  God 
sends  a  man  into  the  world  to  prepare  for  a  greater  work, 

92 


holding  the  keys   of  the  power  of   Elias,   it  was   called   the 
doctrine  of   Elias,   even    from   the   early  ages  of   the   world." 

(J.  S.  T.,  p.  28,  C.  H.,  Vol  6,  p.  249.) 

From  the  wording  of  the  above  quotation,  and  a  close 
study  of  all  revelations  bearing  on  the  subject  of  Elias,  we 
gather  that  there  lived  in  former  days  an  Elias  unto  whom 
was  given  a  great  mission.  (See  p.  375,  "Jesus  the  Christ.") 
As  Moroni  has  been  given  the  Keys  of  the  Stick  of  Ephraim 
(Book  of  Mormon),  and  Peter,  James  and  John  the  Keys  of 
the  Kingdom,  (D.  C.  27:5,  12-13.  D.  C.  7:5-8),  so  likewise 
has  a  certain  prophet  been  given  the  office  and  calling  of 
Elias,  unto  whom  has  been  "committed  the  keys  of  bringing 
to  pass  the  restoration  of  all  things,"  (D.  C.  27:6),  but  in 
the  generations  which  followed  his  career  in  the  flesh,  he 
has  performed  his  labors  thru  other  prophets  who  have 
labored  under  him;  who  also  are  called  Elias's;for  example, 
Peter,  James  and  John  hold  the  Keys  of  the  Kingdom,  yet 
we  are  told  they  are  laboring  directly  under  Adam,  who 
holds  the  Keys  of  Salvation.  (D.  C.  78:  15-16.) 

We  conclude  that  this  Elias,  who  once  lived  in  the  flesh 
and  who  visited  Zacharias,  under  the  name  of  Gabriel,  (D. 
C.  27:6-7.  Luke  1:19),  is  also  the  same  Elias  who  came  to 
the  Kirtland  Temple  on  April  3,  1836  (D.  C.  110:  12)  with 
the  Lord,  Moses  and  Elijah.  Now,  who  was  Gabriel?  He 
must  have  been  a  great  restorer.  Who  was  earth's  greatest 
restorer  of  life,  knowledge  and  blassings?  It  was  Noah, 
because  he,  in  his  day,  restored  all.  Joseph  Smith  says: 

"The  Priesthood  was  first  given  to  Adam;  he  obtained  the 
First  Presidency,  and  held  the  keys  of  it  from  generation 
to  generation.  .  .  .  He  is  Michael  the  Archangel, 
spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures.  Then  to  Noah,  who  is  Gabriel; 
he  stands  next  in  authority  to  Adam  in  the  Priesthood;  he 
was  called  of  God  to  this  office,  and  was  the  father  of  all 
living  in  his  day,  and  to  him  was  given  the  dominion.  These 
men  held  keys  first  on  earth,  and  then  in  heaven."  (C.  H. 
Vol.  3,  p.  385.) 

It  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 

93 


Cowdery  had  previously  been  called  and  ordained  unto  the 
Aaronic  as  well  as  the  Melchisedek  Priesthood.  Therefore, 
these  prophets  who  appeared  in  the  Kirtland  Temple  did  not 
come  to  restore  a  Priesthood  office;  they  came  to  restore  a 
portion  of  their  Keys  and  Spirit  of  their  mission  to  Joseph 
Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery,  in  order  that  they  not  only 
might  have  the  authority  of  these  two  priesthoods,  but 
that  they  also  should  have  the  Keys  (Knowledge)  and  call- 
ing of  these  two  Priesthoods  in  laying  the  foundation  for 
their  future  mission  of  restoring  greater  things.  (D.  C. 
110:12.) 

The  Elias  who  appeared  with  Moses  on  the  Mountain  of 
Transfiguration,  as  previously  referred  to,  was  John  the 
Baptist : 

"And  there  appeared  unto  them  Elias  with  Moses,  or,  in 
other  words,  John  the  Baptist  and  Moses;  and  they  were 
talking  with  Jesus."  (Mark  9:  3,  Inspired  Translation.) 

After  briefly  referring  to  various  prophets  who  have  been 
given  the  calling  and  spirit  of  Elias,  we  now  call  attention 
to  the  mission  and  work  of  the  Latter  Day  Elias,  who  is 
also  described  in  prophecy  under  the  title  of  the  Root  of 
Jesse. 

THE  ROOT  OF  JESSE 

Keeping  in  mind  the  facts  regarding  the  mission  of  John 
the  Revelator,  we  now  refer  to  another  revelation  affirming 
that  he  is  to  be  that  future  prophet  known  as  the  "Root  of 
Jesse."  Isaiah  plainly  speaks  of  the  time  when  the  Lord 
shall  set  His  hand  the  second  time  to  gather  the  remnants 
of  his  people  in  the  last  days.  He  informs  us  that  the  Root 
of  Jesse  shall  at  that  time  stand  as  an  ensign  before  all 
people  to  whom  the  Gentiles  and  House  of  Israel  shall  seek. 

The  Lord,  in  speaking  to  the  Nephites,  instructed  them 
to  search  the  words  of  Isaiah,  for  in  them,  He  said,  were  to 
be  found  the  prediction  of  Israel's  final  gathering,  (III 
Nephi.  20:11-14)  and  again  He  said: 

"Yea,  a  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  search 

94 


these  things  diligently;  for  great  are  the  words  of  Isaiah. 
For  surely  he  spake  as  touching  all  things  concerning  my 
people  which  are  of  the  House  of  Israel;  therefore,  it  must 
needs  be  that  he  must  speak  also  to  the  Gentiles."  Ill 
Nephi.  23:1-2. 

Because  of  the  importance  of  the  mission  of  this  prophet, 
who  is  known  as  the  Root  of  Jesse,  the  angel  Moroni  was 
sent  to  Joseph  Smith  on  September  21,  1823,  to  bear  wit- 
ness that  the  coming  of  this  prophet  would  soon  be  fulfilled. 
He  quoted,  in  connection  with  other  Scriptures,  the  llth 
Chapter  of  Isaiah,  regarding  which  he  stated  to  the  prophet 
"that  it  was  about  to  be  fulfilled."  C.  H.  Vol.  1,  p.  12. 

The  reader  will  note  by  perusing  the  entire  llth  Chapter 
that  certain  characters  are  mentioned  and  are  referred  to 
as  the  Stem,  Rod,  Root,  and  Branch  of  Jesse;  of  whom  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  Stem;  the  others  are  His  mighty  prophets  who 
are  to  gather  Israel  and  build  up  His  kingdom  just  prior 
to  His  coming.  (J.  S.  T.,  p.  120,  given  Oct.  5,  1840;  C.  H., 
Vol.  4,  p.  207;  J.  S.  T.,  p.  34-35,  given  Mar.  10,  1844;  C.  H., 
Vol.  6,  p.  249,  for  future  mission  of  Elias  and  Elijah.  See 
Index  for  Branch  and  David  the  future  king.)  We  quote 
that  portion  of  the  eleventh  chapter  which  refers  to  the 
Root  of  Jesse: 

"And  in  that  day  there  shall  be  a  root  of  Jesse,  which 
shall  stand  for  an  ensign  of  the  people;  to  it  shall  the  Gen- 
tiles seek;  and  his  rest  shall  be  glorious.  And  it  shall  come 
to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  Lord  shall  set  his  hand  again 
the  second  time  to  recover  the  remnants  of  His  people, 
And  He  shall  set  up  an  ensign  for  the  nations, 
and  shall  assemble  the  outcasts  of  Israel,"  (including  the  ten 
tribes  as  well  as  the  scattered  and  mixed  blood  of  Israel,  as 
found  among  the  Gentiles  and  fallen  tribes  of  Israel^the 
American  Indians  for  an  example)  "and  gather  together  the 
dispersed  of  Judah"  (the  Jews)  "from  the  four  corners 
of  the  earth."  Isa.  11 :  10-12. 

In  order  that  man  should  further  understand  who  this 
particular  Root  of  Jesse  would  be,  a  second  revelation  was 

95 


given  as  explanatory  of  a  portion  of  this  llth  Chapter.  This 
was  given  fifteen  years  after  the  coming  of  Moroni.  As 
follows : 

"Who  is  the  Stem  of  Jesse  spoken  of  in  the  1st,  2nd,  3rd, 
4th  and  5th  verses  of  the  llth  Chapter  of  Isaiah?  Verily, 
thus  saith  the  Lord,  it  is  Christ.  What  is  the  Rod  spoken 
of  in  the  last  verse  of  the  llth  Chapter  of  Isaiah,  that  should 
come  of  the  Stem  of  Jesse?  Behold,  thus  saith  the  Lord, 
it  is  a  servant  in  the  hands  of  Christ,  who  is  partly  a  de- 
scendant of  Jesse  as  well  as  of  Ephraim,  or  of  the  House  of 
Joseph,  on  whom  there  is  laid  much  power.  What  is  the 
root  of  Jesse  spoken  of  in  the  10th  verse  of  the  llth  Chap- 
ter? Behold,  thus  saith  the  Lord,  it  is  a  descendant  of  Jesse, 
as  well  as  of  Joseph,  unto  whom  rightly  belongs  the  Priest- 
hood, and  the  keys  of  the  Kingdom,  for  an  ensign,  and  for 
the  gathering  of  my  people  in  the  last  days."  D.  C.  113:  1-6. 

In  other  words,  the  Root  of  Jesse  is  to  be  a  mighty  leader. 
His  appearance  will  be  as  an  ensign  or  signal  for  God's  peo- 
ple to  gather,  for  this  is  the  climax  of  his  mission;  the 
gathering  will  include  people  out  of  all  nations. 

"And  he  will  lift  up  an  ensign  to  the  nations  from  far, 
and  will  hiss  unto  them  from  the  end  of  the  earth;  and  be- 
hold, they  shall  come  with  speed  swiftly."  Isa.  5:  26. 

Note  in  the  above  quotations  that  the  description  of  the 
mission  of  the  Root  of  Jesse  is  identical  with  that  of  John 
the  Revelator,  as  we  have  previously  shown;  for  the  Priest- 
hood rightly  belongs  to  him,  as  he  has  not  seen  death  and 
remains  the  Senior  member.  It  was  from  him,  Peter  and 
James  that  we  obtained  our  Priesthood.  He  also  holds  the 
Keys  of  the  Kingdom,  for  the  Lord  has  said: 

"And  also  with  Peter,  James  and  John,  whom  I  have  sent 
unto  you,  by  whom  I  have  ordained  you  and  confirmed  you 
to  be  apostles.  .  .  .  Unto  whom  I  have  committed 
the  Keys  of  my  kingdom."  D.  C.  27:  12-13. 

As  to  John  being  the  one  who  is  to  gather  Israel,  we  need 
quote  but  one  verse,  as  follows: 

"What  are  we  to  understand  by  the  little  book  which  was 

96 


eaten  by  John,  as  mentioned  in  the  10th  Chapter  of  Revela- 
tions? We  are  to  understand  that  it  was  a  mission,  and  an 
ordinance,  for  him  to  gather  the  tribes  of  Israel;  behold, 
this  is  Elias;  who,  as  it  is  written,  must  come  and  restore 
all  things."  D.  C.  77:14. 

We  have  now  shown  that  the  qualifications  and  mission  of 
John  the  Revelator  are  identical  with  those  of  the  Root  of 
Jesse,  with  one  exception,  which  has  been  omitted  until  last 
in  order  that  it  might  be  discussed  at  length,  namely,  that 
he  is  a  descendant  of  Jesse. 

There  is  abundant  evidence  that  the  Virgin  Mary  was  of 
the  lineage  of  Jesse,  who  was  the  father  of  David.  (Acts 
13 :  22-23.)  Now,  Mary  had  a  sister  whose  name  was  Salome, 
the  mother  of  James  the  Greater  and  John  the  Revelator, 
who  were  the  sons  of  Zebedee.  (Matt.  10:2.)  Therefore, 
John  is  a  first  cousin  to  the  Lord  on  his  mother's  side  and 
a  descendant  of  Jesse.  We  quote  from  the  L.  D.  S.  Sunday 
School  Outline,  The  Juvenile  Instructor,  Dec.,  1915,  p.  811: 

"James  I,  called  also  the  'Greater/  to  distinguish  him  from 
James,  the  son  of  Alphaeus,  and  James  the  brother  of  the 
Lord,  was  a  son  of  Zebedee.  His  mother  was  Salome,  who  is 
said  to  have  been  a  sister  to  Mary,  the  mother  of  Christ, 
and  who  was  present  with  Mary  at  the  time  of  the  crucifixion. 
If  this  is  true,  James  and  John,  his  brother,  were  first  cousins 
of  the  Christ."  (See  Scribner's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible, 
Vol.  2,  p.  540-1,  Heading  "James,"  also  article  on  "Brethren 
of  the  Lord,"  same  volume.  "Hasting's  Dictionary  of  Christ 
and  the  Gospels,"  Vol.  1,  p.  846.) 

In  turning  to  the  evidence  as  found  in  the  Scriptures,  one 
may  observe  how  it  is  corroborated  by  history.  In  Matthew, 
Mark  and  John,  a  brief  outline  is  given  of  the  events  which 
took  place  at  Calvary,  and  between  these  three  writers  four 
women  of  note  are  mentioned  as  being  at  the  cross:  they 
were  the  three  Marys  and  Salome,  the  mother  of  James  the 
Greater,  who  was  beheaded  by  Herod  in  A.  D.  43-44,  and 
of  John  the  Revelator,  his  brother. 

One  of  the  three  Marys  is  known  as  Mary  the  mother  of 

97 


the  Lord,  who  afterwards  became  the  mother  of  James, 
Joses,  Simon  and  Judas.  (Matt.  13:55.)  This  James  was 
known  as  "James  the  Just,"  who  became  a  firm  believer  in 
Jesus,  his  brother,  as  being  the  Christ,  after  the  resurrection 
and  appearance  of  the  Lord  unto  him.  (I  Cor.  15:  7;  Acts 
1:  14;  Smith's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  Vol.  2,  p.  1205.)  He 
afterwards  became  the  head  of  the  Church  at  Jerusalem. 
Paul  refers  to  him  as  being  an  apostle  and  brother  of  the 
Lord.  (Gal.  1:18-19.)  Josephus  records  that  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  was  indeed  the  Christ,  and  that  he  had  a  brother 
by  the  name  of  James  (p.  442,  494)  called  James  the  Just. 
(Appendix  page  745.) 

The  other  two  Marys  were  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary, 
the  wife  of  Alphaeus,  sometimes  called  wife  of  Cleophas. 
(John  19 :  25.)  Smith's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible  says: 

"James  the  Apostle  is  said  to  be  the  son  of  Alphaeus, 
not  of  Cleophas.  But  Alphaeus  and  Cleophas  are 
the  same  name  rendered  into  the  Greek  language  in  two 
different  but  ordinary  and  recognized  ways  from  the 
Aramaic."  Vol.  2,  p.  1203.  (See  Historian  Barnes*  notes  on 
Peter,  James,  John  and  Jude.) 

Now  Mary,  the  wife  of  Alphaeus,  was  the  mother  of  James 
the  Less  and  Joses.  This  James  was  also  in  the  first  quorum 
of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  (Matt.  10:  3,  Mark  3:  18.)  With 
the  above  brief  history  of  the  three  Marys  and  Salome  and 
the  three  James,  which  the  writer  has  verified  from  many 
records,  the  reader  will  be  able  to  grasp  the  following  Scrip- 
ture references: 

The  Gospels  of  Matthew  and  Mark  do  not  mention  the 
Lord's  mother  as  being  present  at  the  cross,  but  John  men- 
tions the  three  Marys,  as  well  as  Salome,  his  mother,  and 
refers  to  her  as  being  a  sister  to  Mary,  the  mother  of  the 
Lord.  Matt.  27:  56  says: 

"Among  which  was  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary  the 
mother  of  James  and  Joses,  and  the  mother  of  Zebedee's 
children."  The  James  here  noted  is  James  the  Less,  and  his 
mother  was  the  wife  of  Alphaeus.  Mark  15 :  40  says:  "There 

98 


were  also  women  looking  on  afar  off:  among  whom  was 
Mary  Mgadalene,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James  the  less 
and  of  Joses  and  Salome." 

The  reader  will  note  the  two  important  keys  that  are  given 
in  the  latter  verse  by  connecting  it  up  with  Matt.  27:  56,  as 
quoted;  namely,  the  Mary  who  was  the  mother  of  James  and 
Joses,  as  referred  to  by  Matthew,  was  Mary  the  wife  of  Al- 
phaeus,  which  is  the  same  Cleophas,  as  previously  noted, 
for  Mark  says  that  this  James  was  James  the  Less,  there- 
fore the  son  of  Cleophas.  The  mother  of  the  Zebedee  chil- 
dren is  also  referred  to  as  Salome,  which  is  verified  in  many 
records. 

We  now  call  attention  to  John  19:  15  for  the  connecting 
key: 

"Now  there  stood  by  the  cross  of  Jesus  his  mother,  and 
his  mother's  sister,  Mary  the  wife  of  Cleophas,  and  Mary 
Magdalene."  The  three  Marys  are  here  mentioned,  and  John 
refers  to  his  mother  as  being  the  sister  of  the  Lord's  mother, 
which  makes  a  total  of  four  women.  You  will  note  that  John 
divides  the  four  in  pairs,  namely:  A,  and  B,  C,  and  D.  If 
we  say  only  three  women  are  mentioned  in  John  19:25, 
then  all  records  become  confused  and  conflicting,  and  no 
portion  of  them  would  check  with  themselves. 

In  order  that  the  reader  may  not  have  the  slightest  doubt 
as  to  whether  John  refers  to  three  or  four  individuals,  we 
quote  the  following  from  Scribner's  Dictionary  of  Christ  and 
the  Gospels,  edited  by  Hasting,  Vol.  2,  p.  551: 

"It  has  been  argued  by  some  that  three  women  only  are 
here  mentioned  (John  19:25),  and  that  the  words  'Mary 
of  Cleophas  are  explanatory  to  his  mother's  sister.'  Most 
of  the  more  recent  commentators,  however,  notably  West- 
cott,  (St.  John  in  Speakers  N.  T.  Commentary,  page  275) 
hold  that  four  women  are  meant,  and  'his  mother's  sister' 
is  Salome.  The  following  considerations  seem  fairly  con- 
clusive in  favor  of  this  latter  view:  (1)  It  is  most  un- 
likely that  two  sisters  in  a  private  family  should  bear  the 
same  name;  (2)  The  parallelism  ('his  mother  and  his 

99 


mother's  sister,  Mary  of  Cleophas  and  Mary  Magdalene*) 
is  characteristic  of  St.  John;  (3)  The  circuitous  manner  of 
describing  his  own  mother  is  in  character  with  St.  John's 
manner  of  describing  himself.  (W.  L.  Bevan  in  Smith's 
D,  of  the  B.  Art.  Salome.)  (4)  The  Peshitta  inserts  'and 
before  Mary  of  Cleophas.'  (5)  Mary  Magdalene,  Mary  the 
mother  of  James  the  Little  ('Who  is  certainly  the  same  as 
Mary  of  Cleophas')  and  Salome  are  mentioned  by  St.  Mat- 
thew and  St.  Mark  as  present.  The  supposition  that  'Salome 
equals  his  mother's  sister'  harmonizes  St.  John's  account  with 
that  of  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark."  (See  Dummelow  com- 
mentary on  John  19:25;  also  "Jesus  the  Christ,"  by  J.  E. 
Talmage,  p.  668.) 

With  the  evidence  that  John  the  Revelator  is  a  cousin  to 
the  Lord,  and,  therefore,  a  descendant  of  Jesse,  and  from 
all  that  has  been  said  in  this  division,  it  is  self-evident  that 
he  will  be  the  Root  of  Jesse,  the  long  looked  for  prophet  who 
will  call  Israel  home,  thus  fulfilling  the  covenant  that  the 
Lord  made  with  Abraham.  It  will  readily  be  seen  how 
broad  are  the  Lord's  plans  to  unite  Israel  in  His  choosing 
a  man  like  John,  who  is  of  the  tribe  of  Juda,  as  well  as  of 
Ephraim,  in  order  that  "The  envy  also  of  Ephraim  shall  de- 
part, and  the  adversaries  of  Juda  shall  be  cut  off."  Isa. 
11:  13. 

Abundant  evidence  has  been  quoted  and  cited  to  prove 
that  John  the  Revelator,  Elijah  and  the  three  Nephites  are 
to  return  and  finish  their  mission  among  men.  If  we  con- 
sider the  fact  that  various  apostles  and  prophets  who  had 
previously  passed  thru  death  have  been  sent  to  Joseph  Smith 
for  the  purpose  of  restoring  the  Priesthood  powers  and  Keys 
of  the  Gospel,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  translation  of  Elijah, 
and  the  sanctification  of  John  and  the  three  Nephites,  in 
order  for  them  to  do  a  similar  mission,  would  be  inconsistent. 
(II  Kings  2:  1-13;  III  Nephi.  28:  1-40.) 

But  if  we  connect  the  fact  of  them  being  preserved  in 
the  flesh  with  the  revelations  and  quotations  from  Joseph 
Smith,  which  proclaim  that  they  are  to  return  and  perform 

100 


a  personal  mission  among  men  in  building  up  the  kingdom 
of  God  and  gathering  and  preparing  the  Saints  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord,  it  will  then  be  readily  seen  that  the  preserv- 
ing of  these  men  in  the  flesh  is  for  the  specific  purpose  of 
reserving  them  for  a  great  future  mission,  to  be  performed 
in  the  flesh;  for  Joseph  Smith  says:  "Translated  bodies  are 
designed  for  future  missions/'  (C.  H.,  Vol.  4,  p.  425;  J.  S. 
T.,  p.  186.) 

Men  have  ventured  to  name  various  individuals,  other  than 
John  the  Revelator,  whom  they  claim  have  fulfilled  or  will 
yet  fulfil  the  mission  of  the  Root  of  Jesse.  But  in  every 
instance  they  entangle  themselves  with  various  unconnecting 
liYiks  and  conditions.  We  quote  President  Penrose  of  the 
first  quorum  on  this  question,  given  May  11,  1914,  in  the 
office  of  the  First  Presidency  in  the  presence  of  certain 
Elders,  who  made  the  appointment  for  the  purpose  of  ob- 
taining the  Church's  attitude  on  this  prophecy.  They  asked 
him  in  part  the  following: 

"What  are  your  views  in  regards  to  this  special  instrument, 
the  'Root  of  Jesse?'  "  Answer:  "This  instrument,  when  he 
is  revealed,  if  he  has  not  already  been  revealed,  will  be  called 
and  appointed  by  the  presiding  authorities  of  the  Church. 
My  personal  opinion  is  that  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith  was 
this  man,  and  I  know  of  no  man  who  fills  the  bill  as  he  does. 
There  is  one  thing  I  am  settled  upon,  and  that  is,  the  Lord 
will  not  call  any  one  to  do  any  important  work  at  any  time, 
unless  it  be  thru  the  proper  authorities." 

In  answering  the  above  opinions  we  need  only  cite  a  few 
of  the  actual  facts  connected  with  the  prophecy  in  question. 
(1)  The  Root  of  Jesse  must  be  one  "unto  whom  rightly 
belongs  the  Priesthood,  and  the  keys  of  the  kingdom,  for  an 
ensign,  and  for  the  gathering  of  my  people  in  the  last  days." 
D.  C.  113:6. 

We  ask,  if  the  Priesthood  rightly  belonged  to  Joseph 
Smith,  then  why  was  he  re-ordained  under  the  hands  of  the 
various  Apostles  and  Prophets,  whom  the  Lord  sent  unto 
him,  in  order  for  him  to  obtain  his  Priesthood  rights  and  au- 

101 


thority  to  act  therein?  (2)  The  keys  of  this  dispensation 
were  given  to  Joseph  Smith  in  connection  with  these  various 
Apostles  and  Prophets  (D.  C.  112:30-32),  but  he  never 
received  the  keys  of  the  kingdom.  This  authority  is  now 
held  by  John,  the  only  surviving  member  of  the  three  in- 
dividuals unto  whom  these  certain  keys  were  committed, 
namely,  Peter,  James  and  John.  (D.  C.  27:  12-13;  7:  7.) 

(3)  The  Root  of  Jesse  is  to  labor  among  men  at  the 
time  of  the  final  gathering  of  the  Jews  and  the  destruction 
of  the  tongue  of  the  Egyptian  sea.     (Isa.  11:  10-16.)    Both 
of  these  events  are  yet  in  the  future. 

(4)  In  1838,  Joseph  Smith  received  a  revelation  given 
in  answer  to  the  direct  question,  "What  is  the  root  of  Jesse 
spoken  of  in  the  10th  verse  of  the  llth  Chapter"  of  Isaiah? 
(D.  C.  113:  5-6.)      We  ask,  If  Joseph  Smith  was  this  Root 
of  Jesse,  then  why  did  the  Lord  not  inform  us  of  it,  or  at 
least  give  us  a  suggestion  that  would  lead  our  thoughts  in 
that  direction?     Instead  we  observe  that  His  answer  gives 
a  perfect  description  of  the  characteristics,   authority  and 
mission  of   one  that  can  unquestionably  be  applied  to  no 
other  than  John  the  Revelator.     Furthermore,  Joseph  Smith 
never  claimed  to  be  this  instrument.     Whereas,  John  still 
holds  the  Keys  of  the  Kingdom,  his  Priesthood  rights,  and 
calling  to  complete  the  final  gathering  of  the  whole  House 
of  Israel  and  the  restoring  of  all  things. 

To  those  who  contend  that  these  mighty  future  prophets 
cannot  be  raised  up  without  the  agency  of  man  here  on  earth, 
we  would  refer  you* to  the  calling  of  the  Apostle  Paul.  He 
was  called,  ordained  and  sent  forth  by  the  Lord  to  preach 
the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles.  No  portion  of  his  authority  came 
from  Peter  or  the  other  eleven  apostles,  with  the  exception 
of  his  baptism  and  the  laying  on  of  hands  for  the  Gift  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Therefore,  if  the  Lord  saw  fit  to  raise  up 
Paul  in  this  manner,  in  the  days  of  righteous  Peter,  James 
and  John,  then  it  requires  but  little  thought  on  our  part 
to  be  able  to  comprehend  that  He  is  able  to  do  the  same 
thing  in  this  day  and  age. 

102 


The  average  person  will  be  surprised  to  learn  that  this 
very  principle  of  sending  these  future  prophets,  as  previous- 
ly referred  to,  and  their  work,  ^will  comprise  what  the  Lord 
has  called  "His  great  and  marvelous  works,  and  His  strange 
work,  His  Strange  Act."  (Ill  Nephi  21:7-15;  Isa.  28:1-6, 
21-22;  II  Nephi.  25:15-17.) 

As  to  who  ordained  Paul  to  the  apostleship,  we  have  his 
own  words,  wherein  he  informs  us  that  he  was  ordained  by 
Jesus  Christ  himself.  It  is  true  we  are  told  in  Acts  13:  1-4, 
that  the  Holy  Ghost  said  unto  the  brethren  of  Antioch, 
"separate  Paul  and  Barnabas"  for  a  certain  mission  tour, 
and  that  the  brethren  laid  their  hands  on  them  after  fasting 
and  praying  and  sent  them  away;  but  this  was  not  for  the 
purpose  of  bestowing  a  Priesthood  office.  It  was  the  same 
principle  we  practice  today  in  setting  an  Elder  apart  for 
any  special  mission,  for  at  that  time  Paul  had  preached  the 
Gospel  to  the  Gentiles  with  much  power  and  success  for  more 
than  four  years.  (Gal.  1 :  15-24,  Acts  9 :  10-30,  Acts  11 :  25- 
30.) 

At  the  close  of  the  first  three  years,  he  went  up  to  Jeru- 
salem and  tried  to  associate  with  the  disciples,  but  they  were 
afraid  of  him,  and  knew  not  that  he  was  a  disciple,  which  is 
self-evident  that  they  knew  nothing  of  his  apostleship;  but 
Barnabas  explained  unto  the  apostles  how  the  Lord  himself 
had  called  Paul,  and  told  them  of  his  bold  preaching  in 
Damascus.  (Gal.  1 :  15-24,  Acts  9  :  26-30.) 

Osi  account  of  men  seeking  to  slay  him  for  preaching 
in  Jerusalem,  the  brethren  sent  him  away  for  his  own  pro- 
tection; and,  from  that  day  until  fourteen  years  later,  he 
preached  the  Gospel  in  mighty  power  and  ordained  Elders 
among  the  Gentiles  in  many  cities.  (Acts  13th  and  14th 
Chapters.)  He  then  returned  to  Jerusalem  in  behalf  of  the 
Gentiles,  to  settle  the  question  of  the  doctrine  of  circum- 
cision, and  was  successful  in  removing  this  law  from  the 
Gentiles.  He  also  informed  them  of  his  private  calling  and 
marvelous  mission.  (Gal.  2:1-10,  Acts  15:1-33.)  Quoted 
in  part: 

103 


"Then  all  the  multitude  kept  silence,  and  gave  audience 
to  Barnabas  and  Paul,  declaring  what  miracles  and  wonders 
God  had  wrought  among  the  Gentiles  by  them."  Acts  15  :  12. 

It  was  on  this  visit  to  the  apostles  that  he  convinced  them 
of  his  apostleship  and  mission;  they  then  gave  unto  him  the 
right  hand  of  fellowship,  at  the  same  time  recognizing  him 
as  a  special  apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  We  quote  from  Paul  I 

"Then  fourteen  years  after  I  went  up  again  to  Jerusalem 
with  Barnabas,  and  took  Titus  with  me  also.  And  I  went 
up  by  revelation,  and  communicated  unto  them  that  Gospel 
which  I  preach  among  the  Gentiles  .  .  .  But  of  these 
who  seemed  to  be  somewhat  (whatsoever  they  were,  it 
maketh  no  matter  to  me;  God  accepteth  no  man's  person)  ; 
for  they  who  seemed  to  be  somewhat  in  confidence  added 
nothing  to  me;  but  contrariwise,  when  they  saw  that  the 
Gospel  of  the  uncircumcision  was  committed  unto  me,  as  the 
Gospel  of  circumcision  was  unto  Peter;  (for  he  that  wrought 
effectually  in  Peter  to  the  apostleship  of  the  circumcision, 
the  same  was  mighty  in  me  toward  the  Gentiles).  And  when 
James,  Cephas  and  John,  who  seemed  to  be  pillars,  per- 
ceived the  grace  that  was  given  unto  me,  they  gave  to  me 
and  Barnabas  the  right  hand  of  fellowship;  that  we  should 
go  unto  the  heathen,  and  they  unto  the  circumcision."  Gal. 
2:  1-2,  6-9. 

From  the  above  quotation,  we  learn  that  Paul  convinced 
the  Twelve  of  his  authority.  Smith's  Distionary  of  the  Bible 
cites  Thorndike  to  confirm  this  question.  Quoted  in  part: 
"St.  Paul  is  here  maintaining,  namely,  that  he  had  received 
his  commission  from  God,  and  not  from  the  Twelve."  (See 
Thorndike  I,  p.  5,  off  1844.)  (Vol.  2,  p.  1204.)  His  call- 
ing is  also  referred  to  in  the  following  letter  to  the  Galatian 
saints,  and  he  names  the  place  where  he  retired,  in  order  to 
converse  with  the  Lord,  while  learning  the  Gospel: 

"Paul,  an  apostle,  (not  of  men,  neither  by  man,  but  by 
Jesus  Christ,  and  God  the  Father,  who  raised  him  from  the 
dead;)  For  I  neither  received  it  of  man,  neither  was  I  taught 
it,  but  by  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ.  But  when  it  pleased 

104 


God,  who  separated  me  from  my  mother's  womb,  and  called 
me  by  His  grace,  to  reveal  His  Son  in  me,  that  I  might  preach 
him  among  the  heathen;  immediately  I  conferred  not  with 
flesh  and  blood:  Neither  went  I  up  to  Jerusalem  to  them 
which  were  apostles  before  me;  but  I  went  into  Arabia,  and 
returned  again  unto  Damascus."  Gal.  1:  1,  12,  15-17. 

The  receiving  of  Paul  by  Peter,  James  and  John,  as  an 
apostle  and  co-laborer,  after  due  explanation  had  been  given 
of  his  calling,  is  indeed  commendable  on  their  part,  for  they 
had  no  written  prophecy  concerning  his  calling  and  mission. 
It  is  very  true  we  have  the  same  Gospel  today;  yet,  a  portion 
of  our  Priesthood  has  failed  to  show  that  same  spirit,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  our  Scriptures  contain  an  un- 
limited amount  of  plain  prophecy  concerning  the  future 
mission  of  the  Mighty  and  Strong  Servant,  the  Man  like 
Moses,  Elijah,  John  the  Revelator  and  others;  but  if  an 
Elder  of  Israel  raises  his  voice  and  declares  his  belief  in  all 
these  prophecies,  he  will  immediately  find  himself  surrounded 
by  strong  opposition;  and  if  he  continues,  he  must  retire. 

The  beginning  of  this  final  work  of  establishing  the  King- 
dom of  God  in  its  fullness,  will  be  the  movement  of  the  final 
gathering  of  the  saints  and  the  honest  in  heart  to  Zion  of 
America  and  the  Jerusalem  of  Palestine.  A  portion  of  the 
details  of  the  redemption  of  Zion  is  described  in  a  revela- 
tion that  was  given  to  Joseph  Smith,  wherein  a  man  like 
Moses,  who  would  lead  them  to  Zion,  has  been  promised  to 
the  saints. 

A  MOSES 
THE   FUTURE   REDEEMER  OF  ZION. 

The  interpretation  of  the  revelation  specifying  that  Zion 
is  to  be  redeemed  by  a  man  like  unto  Moses,  is  unconsciously 
undergoing  a  changing  process  in  the  minds  of  some  of  our 
Priests  and  Prophets,  similar  to  their  interpretation  of  the 
revelation  referring  to  the  coming  forth  of  the  "Mighty  and 
Strong"  One,  and  the  "Marred  Servant."  The  three  have 
been  eliminated  from  the  field  of  future  fulfillment,  and 

105 


when  asked  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  103rd  Section  of  D. 
&  C.,  the  answer  is  given  that  this  revelation  was  fulfilled  in 
the  days  of  Brigham  Young  when  he  redeemed  Zion,  (The 
Salt  Lake  Valley),  thus,  substituting  Utah  for  the  Land  of 
Zion. 

In  order  to  grasp  the  full  thought  of  the  revelation  per- 
taining to  Zion's  redemption,  we  must  first  consider  the 
Lord's  reasons,  which  are  found  in  the  first  part  of  this 
revelation  in  question,  why  He  suffered  Zion  to  fall  in  the 
days  of  Joseph  Smith.  Quoted  in  part: 

"And  that  those  who  call  themselves  after  my  name  might 
be  chastened  for  a  little  season  with  a  sore  and  grievous 
chastisement,  because  they  did  not  hearken  altogether  unto 
the  precepts  and  commandments  which  I  gave  unto  them." 
D.  C.  103:4.  "Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  concerning  your 
brethren  who  have  been  afflicted,  and  persecuted,  and  cast 
out  from  the  land  of  their  inheritance,  I,  the  Lord,  have 
suffered  the  affliction  to  come  upon  them,  wherewith  they 
have  been  afflicted,  in  consequence  of  their  transgressions; 
Behold,  I  say  unto  you,  there  were  jarrings,  and  contentions, 
and  envyings,  and  strifes,  and  lustful  and  covetous  desires 
among  them;  therefore,  by  these  things  they  polluted  their 
inheritances."  D.  C.  101:  1-2,  6. 

With  this  brief  review  of  the  reasons  why  Zion  failed  to 
be  redeemed,  we  will  now  consider  her  redemption,  and  the 
way  in  which  the  Lord  says  it  shall  be  accomplished: 

"Behold,  I  say  unto  you,  the  redemption  of  Zion  must 
needs  come  by  power;  Therefore,  I  will  raise  up  unto  my 
people  a  man,  who  shall  lead  them  like  as  Moses  led  the 
children  of  Israel;  For  ye  are  the  children  of  Israel,  and  of 
the  seed  of  Abraham,  and  ye  must  needs  be  led  out  of  bond- 
age with  power,  and  with  a  stretched  out  arm:  And  as  your 
fathers  were  led  at  the  first,  even  so  shall  the  redemption 
of  Zion  be.  Therefore,  let  not  your  hearts  faint,  for  I  say 
not  unto  you,  as  I  said  unto  your  fathers,  mine  angel  shall 
go  up  before  you,  but  not  my  presence;  But  I  say  unto  you, 
mine  angels  shall  go  before  you,  and  also  my  presence,  and 

106 


in  time  ye  shall  possess  the  goodly  land."  D.  C.  103:  15-20. 
It  would  be  wasting  energy  to  enlarge  upon  the  plainness 
of  this  revelation,  or  to  try  to  arrive  at  any  other  meaning 
than  the  one  so  clearly  set  forth,  namely,  that  a  great  spe- 
cial Prophet  is  to  be  sent  unto  the  saints  at  the  time  of  Zion's 
redemption,  as  in  the  days  of  Moses,  when  he  was  called  to 
lead  Israel  out  of  bondage.  (Exod.  3rd  Chapter.)  There- 
fore, it  appears  that  in  order  that  the  thoughts  of  the  Saints 
might  not  be  attracted  towards  future  Prophets,  but  rather 
to  those  who  have  gone,  as  well  as  to  the  present  ones,  and 
likewise  make  it  appear  that  Utah  was  the  land  of  Zion, 
various  members  of  our  Priesthood  have  undertaken  to 
show  that  Brigham  Young  fulfilled  this  revelation.  There- 
fore, we  desire  to  set  forth  the  true  scriptural  teachings 
which  will  prove  convincing: 

(1)  The  Lord  specifically  informed  the  saints  that  He 
would  raise  up  a  man  like  unto  Moses  of  Old,  who  would 
lead  them  at   the   time   of  Zion's   redemption;    therefore,   in- 
asmuch as  Zion  has  not  been  redeemed  to  this  present  day, 
their  claim  that  Brigham  Young  fulfilled  this  prophecy  falls 
to  the  ground. 

(2)  The    marvelous    manifestations    described    in    this 
revelation   which  would   precede   Zion's    redemption    were 
never  fulfilled  in  the  days  of  Brigham  Young. 

(3)  The  Lord  gave  Brigham  Young  a  revelation  which 
contained  general  instructions  for  organizing  the  saints  for 
their  long  journey  to  the  West,  informing  him  of  their  des- 
tination, telling  him  that  He  would  lead  them  to  a  place 
which  was  to  be  a  stake  of  Zion;  therefore,  Brigham  Young 
knew  that  he  was  going  to  locate  a  stake,  and  not  Zion  it- 
self.    The  first  nine  verses  of  this  revelation  cover  instruc- 
tions to  organize;  the  tenth,  as  follows:    "Let  every  man  use 
all  his  influence  and  property  to  remove  this  people  to  the 
place  where  the  Lord  shall  locate  a  stake  of  Zion."      D.   C. 
136:10. 

The  eleventh  to  the  fifteenth  verses  cover  the  organizing 
of  certain  companies;  the  sixteenth  to  the  eighteenth  verses 

107 


cover  instructions  to  the  leaders  of  these  various  companies 
to  go  and  do  as  He  had  commanded  them,  in  locating  a  stake 
of  Zion,  and  not  to  fear  but  that  the  work  of  the  Lord  would 
be  accomplished,  and  that  Zion  would  be  redeemed  in  the 
Lord's  own  due  time.  Quoted  in  part: 

"And  let  my  servants  that  have  been  appointed  go  and 
teach  this  my  will  to  the  saints,  that  they  may  be  ready  to 
go  to  a  land  of  peace.  Go  thy  way  and  do  as  I  have  told 
you,  and  fear  not  thine  enemies,  for  they  shall  not  have 
power  to  stop  my  work.  Zion  shall  be  redeemed  in  mine 
own  due  time."  D.  C.  136:  16-18. 

(4)  This  revelation  was  understood  by  the  Priesthood 
at  that  time  and  many  years  afterwards,  to  refer  to  the 
coming   of   a   future  prophet,   other   than   Brigham   Young. 
Orson  Pratt,  one  of  the  first  apostles  of  the  Church,  who 
stood  among  the  foremost  of  his  brethren  on  doctrine,  was 
chosen  to   divide  the   Book  of  Mormon   and  Doctrine    and 
Covenants  into  chapters  and  verses,  and  was  given  authority 
to  place  foot  notes  as  explanatory  to  various  revelations. 
Among  these  foot  notes  is  one  that  refers  to  the  man  like 
Moses,  as  follows:  "L"  "the  one  referred  to,  in  this  prophecy, 
is  not  yet  revealed." 

(5)  If  this  foot  note  is  not  true,   then  why  do  not  the 
authorities  of  the  Church  remove  it  from  the  book  of  reve- 
lations, which  is  given  to  the  saints  as  the  word  of  truth? 

(6)  This  apostle,  in  a  public  discourse  on  the  Redemp- 
tion of  Zion,  on  November  1,  1879,  which  was  more  than 
two  years  after  the   death  of  Brigham  Young,  again  con- 
firmed the  statement  that  Zion  was  to  be  redeemed  by  a 
man  like  unto  Moses,  which  is  conclusive  evidence  of  his  firm 
and  fixed  belief  on  this  question;  a  similar  foot  note  appears 
under  the  revelation  referring  to  the  coming  forth  of  the 
"Mighty  and  Strong"  one  who  is  to  divide  the  inheritances 
of  the  saints  when  Zion  is  redeemed.     It  reads:     "A  future 
messenger  promised."     (D.  C.  85:  7.)     These  two  foot  notes 
are  confirmed  in  his  sermon  of  1879,  as  follows: 

"And   we,   in   order  to  build   a  temple   after   a   celestial 

108 


order,  in  the  fullness  of  perfection,  will  need  revelator* 
and  prophets  in  our  midst  who  will  receive  the  Word  of  the 
Lord,  who  will  have  the  whole  pattern  thereof  given  by  reve- 
lation, just  as  much  as  everything  was  given  by  revelations 
pertaining  to  the  tabernacle  erected  in  the  wilderness  by 
Moses.  Indeed,  before  we  can  go  back  to  inherit  the  land 
in  all  its  fullness  and  perfection,  God  has  promised  that  He 
would  raise  up  a  man  like  unto  Moses. 

"Who  this  man  will  be,  I  do  not  know.  It  may  be  a 
person  with  whom  we  are  entirely  unacquainted;  it  may  be 
one  of  our  infant  children;  it  may  be  some  person  not  yet 
born;  it  may  be  some  one  of  middle  age.  But  suffice  it  to 
say  that  God  will  raise  up  such  a  man  and  He  will  show 
forth  His  power  through  him,  and  through  the  people  that 
he  will  lead  forth  to  inherit  the  country,  as  He  did  thru  our 
fathers  in  the  wilderness.  Did  He  then  display  His  power 
by  dividing  the  waters?  Yes.  Did  the  mountains  and  lands 
shake  under  His  power?  Yes.  Did  he  speak  to  the  people 
by  His  own  voice?  Yes.  Did  he  converse  with  Moses,  face 
to  face?  Yes.  Did  he  show  him  His  glory?  Yes.  Did  He 
unfold  to  him  in  one  moment  more  than  all  our  schools  and 
academies  and  universities  could  give  us  in  ten  thousand 
years?  Yes.  God  will  assuredly  raise  up  a  man  like  unto 
Moses,  and  redeem  His  people  with  an  outstretched  arm,  as 
the  fathers  were  redeemed  at  the  first,  going  before  them 
with  His  own  presence  and  will  also  surround  them  by  His 
Angels. 

"And  he  will  have  to  give  more  revelation  on  other  things 
equally  important  for  we  shall  need  instructions  how  to 
build  up  Zion,  how  to  establish  the  central  city.  *  *  * 
And  then  God  will  come  and  visit  it.  It  will  be  a  place 
where  He  will  have  His  throne,  where  He  will  sit  occasionally 
as  King  of  Kings,  and  Lord  of  Lords,  and  reign  over  His 
people,  who  will  occupy  this  great  Western  continent. 
This  you  will  find  recorded  in  Doctrine  and  Cov- 
enants, and  in  the  same  book  it  is  predicted  that  there  is 
to  be  one  'Mighty  and  Strong/  as  well  as  to  be  an  immortal 

109 


personage;  one  that  is  clothed  upon  with  light  as  with  a 
garment,  one  whose  bowels  are  a  fountain  of  truth.  His 
mission  will  be  to  divide  by  lot  to  the  saints  their  inheritance, 
according  to  their  faithfulness  in  their  stewardship."  Page 
153-4,  Journal  of  Discourses,  Vol.  21,  1881;  (D.  C.  85:  6-12, 
D.  C.  103:15-20.) 

This  is  an  honest  statement  from  an  inspired  apostle,  who 
had  learned  by  studying  in  the  School  of  Prophets  under 
Joseph  Smith,  as  well  as  from  the  fountain  of  truth,  that 
every  letter  of  the  written  Word  would  be  fulfilled,  and 
he  was  one  who  spent  his  time  in  calling  the  attention  of 
the  saints  to  these  great  future  events,  and  whose  course 
was  headed  in  another  direction  to  that  of  some  of  his 
brethren  who  have  succeeded  him,  who  unconsciously,  by 
their  statements,  annul  certain  portions  of  the  Written 
Word  which  testify  to  the  future  mission  of  these  various 
prophets  promised  to  the  saints  at  their  redemption. 

If  Orson  Pratt  should  come  back  and  preach  the  same 
sermon  today  as  previously  quoted,  he  would  be  excom- 
municated, or,  ostracized  from  future  participation  in  the 
Priesthood;  for  this  has  been  the  treatment  that  scores  of 
saints  and  Elders  have  received  at  the  hands  of  their  breth- 
ren who  are  in  authority.  Hence  the  present  condition  of 
the  Church  today. 

Many  letters  on  this  subject  have  been  received  by  the 
writer  from  Saints  and  Elders  who  have  written  their  pro- 
test against  the  stand  that  the  Church  authorities  are  taking 
today.  These  letters  have  raised  the  following  question  in 
the  writer's  mind:  Why  do  they  strive  to  bury  this  103rd 
Section  of  D.  &  C.  along  with  many  others,  and,  is  it  pos- 
sible they  can  be  more  interested  in  Utah  and  carnal  se- 
curity than  in  Zion?  (II  Nephi.  28:  1-21.) 

This  question  of  Zion's  redemption  may  not  be  of  interest 
to  many  at  the  present  day,  but,  just  as  sure  as  the  heavens 
are  above  the  earth,  conditions  will  soon  change;  for  peac* 
will  soon  be  taken  from  this  land,  and  Zion  in  Missouri 

110 


and  the  surrounding  territory  will  be  the  only  refuge.  (D. 
C.  45:62-71.) 

"And  that  gathering  together  upon  the  land  of  Zion,  and 
upon  her  Stakes,  may  be  for  a  defense,  and  for  a  refuge  from 
the  storm,  and  from  wrath  when  it  shall  be  poured  out 
without  mixture  upon  the  whole  earth."  *  D.  C.  115:  6.  "For 
without  Zion,  and  a  place  of  deliverance,  we  must  fall;  be- 
cause the  time  is  near  when  the  sun  will  be  darkened 
and  if  we  are  not  sanctified  and  gathered  to.  the 
places  God  has  appointed  .  .  .  we  must  fall,  we  can- 
not stand;  we  cannot  be  saved;  for  God  will  gather  out  His 
Saints  from  the  Gentiles,  and  then  cometh  desolation  and 
destruction,  and  none  can  escape  except  the  pure  in  heart 
who  are  gathered."  C.  H.  Vol.  2,  p.  52,  J.  S.  T.,  p.  189. 

And  in  Zion,  we  are  told,  the  Saints  will  live  the  Celestial 
law,  or,  in  other  words,  will  have  all  things  in  comman,  (D. 
C.  105:  1-6),  as  the  Lord  has  said:  "It  is  not  given  that  one 
man  should  possess  that  which  is  above  another,  wherefore 
the  world  lieth  in  sin."  D.  C.  49 :  20. 

As  to  the  personality  of  this  "man  like  unto  Moses,"  the 
records  fail  to  reveal  his  name.  However,  he  is  to  lead  the 
Saints  out  of  bondage  to  the  land  which  they  formerly 
possessed.  Inasmuch  as  John  the  Revelator  is  to  gather 
the  Saints,  which  gathering  will  include  all  Israel,  as  well 
as  thec  Gentiles,  to  the  lands  of  Zion  and  Jerusalem,  and 
the  "One  Mighty  and  Strong"  is  to  set  the  House  of  God  in 
order,  and  divide  the  inheritances  of  the  Saints  of  Zion, 
the  mission  of  these  two  seemingly  connects  with  the  mis- 
sion of  the  servant  in  question,  and  the  inference  lies  near 
that  this  great  work  will  be  performed  by  one  of  these  two 
characters.  Furthermore,  the  "Man  like  Moses"  and  the 
"One  Mighty  and  Strong"  may  prove  to  be  the  same  person. 

In  the  105th  Section  of  D.  &  C.  (given  four  months  later), 
the  Lord  again  speaks  of  the  redemption  of  Zion,  wherein 
He  points  out  that  Zion  would  not  be  redeemed  until  after 
many  days;  but,  in  that  day,  would  He  gather  His  army  and 
sanctify  them  by  His  servant,  then  would  they  have  power 

111 


to  accomplish  her  redemption.     As  follows: 

"But  firstly,  let  my  army  become  very  great,  and  let  it 
be  sanctified  before  me,  that  it  may  become  fair  as  the  sun 
That  the  Kingdoms  of  this  world  may  be  con- 
strained to  acknowledge,  that  the  kingdom  of  Zion  is  in  very 
deed  the  kingdom  *of  our  God  and  His  Christ;  therefore,  let 
us  become  subject  unto  her  laws.  *  *  *  And  it 
shall  be  manifest  unto  my  servant,  by  the  voice  of  the  spirit, 
those  who  are  chosen,  and  they  shall  be  sanctified;  And  in- 
asmuch as  they  follow  the  counsel  which  they  receive,  they 
shall  have  power  after  many  days  to  accomplish  all  things 
pertaining  to  Zion."  D.  C.  105:31-37  (given  June  22, 
1834). 

It  therefore  appears  that  inasmuch  as  John  is  to  have 
charge  over  the  sealing  and  sanctifying  of  the  Servants  of 
God,  (see  Chapter  VI,  also  D.  C.  77:8-11,14),  as  well  as 
of  the  gathering  of  all  Israel,  that  his  mission  is  very  simi- 
lar to  the  one  in  question. 

Not  only  will  Zion  be  redeemed,  but  also  Jerusalem.  The 
Prophet  Isaiah  speaks  of  a  second  voice  that  will  be  heard 
in  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of  her  redemption. 

"Speak  ye  comfortably  to  Jerusalem,  and  cry  unto  her, 
that  her  warfare  is  accomplished,  that  her  iniquity  is  par- 
doned, for  she  hath  received  of  the  Lord's  hand  double  for 
all  her  sins.  The  voice  of  him  that  crieth  in  the  wilderness, 
Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  straight  in  the  desert 
a  highway  for  our  God.  Every  valley  shall  be  exalted,  and 
every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  made  low;  and  the  crooked 
shall  be  made  straight,  and  the  rough  places  plain.  And 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  revealed,  and  all  flesh  shall  see 
it  together;  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it." 
Isa.  40 :2-5. 

The  latter  day  apostle,  Parley  P.  Pratt,  in  his  writings  in 
the  "Voice  of  Warning"  (p.  159),  in  referring  to  the  above 
quotation,  says: 

"From  these  verses  we  learn,  first,  that  the  voice  of  one 
shall  be  heard  in  the  wilderness,  to  prepare  the  way  of  the 

112 


Lord,  just  at  the  time  when  Jerusalem  has  been  trodden 
down  of  the  Gentiles  long  enough  to  have  received,  at  the 
Lord's  hands,  double  for  all  her  sins;  yea,  when  the  warfare 
of  Jerusalem  is  accomplished,  and  her  iniquities  pardoned. 
Then  shall  this  proclamation  be  made  as  it  was  before  by 
John,  yea,  a  second  proclamation,  to  prepare  the  way  of  the 
Lord,  for  his  second  coming." 

This  second  voice  will  evidently  be  John  the  Revelator,  in 
the  capacity  of  the  great  Elias  and  forerunner  of  the  Lord's 
second  coming;  thus  fulfilling  the  Lord's  statement,  wherein 
He  said: 

"Elias  truly  shall  first  come, 'and  restore  all  things,  as  the 
prophets  have  written.  .  .  .  Then  the  disciples  under- 
stood that  he  spake  unto  them  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  also 
of  another  who  should  come  and  restore  all  things,  as  it- is 
written  by  the  prophets."  (Matt.  17:10,  14.  John  1:20-26, 
Insp.  Translation.) 

The  Prophet  Malachi  also  speaks  of  a  forerunner  or  mes- 
senger who  shall  precede  the  Lord's  second  coming,  for  he 
refers  to  the  time  when  the  Lord  shall  suddenly  come  to  His 
temple,  and  he  asks  the  question,  Who  shall  abide  that  day? 
— for  he  says  that  he,  the  messenger,  shall  sit  as  a  refiner 
of  fire  to  purge  the  sons  of  Levi,  in  order  that  they  may 
offer  an  offering  unto  the  Lord  in  righteousness;  in  other 
words,  the  messenger  is  to  purify  the  righteous  and  purge 
out  the  wicked,  and,  will  evidently  be  no  other  than  the 
future  Elias,  who  not  only  will  gather  Israel  and  restore  all 
things,  but  will  have  charge  of  the  four  destroying  Angels, 
who  are  to  assist  in  sealing  up  the  righteous  and  in  pouring 
out  judgments  against  the  wicked.  ,  (D.  C.  77:8-11,  14.) 
We  quote  in  part  the  third  chapter  of  Malachi,  being  one  of 
the  chapters  quoted  by  the  Angel  Moroni  to  Joseph  Smith, 
stating  that  it  had  not  been  fulfilled : 

"Behold,  I  will  send  my  messenger,  and  he  shall  prepare 
the  way  before  me:  and  the  Lord,  whom  he  seek,  shall  sud- 
denly come  to  His  temple,  even  the  messenger  of  the  cove- 
nant, whom  ye  delight  in :  behold,  he  shall  come,  saith  the 

113 


Lord  of  Hosts.  But  who  may  abide  the  day  of  his  coming  ? 
and  who  shall  stand  when  he  appeareth?  for  he  is  like  a 
refiner's  fire,  and  like  fuller's  soap:  And  he  shall  sit  as  a 
refiner  and  purifier  of  silver:  and  he  shall  purify  the  sons  of 
Levi,  and  purge  them  as  gold  and  silver,  that  they  may  oifer 
unto  the  Lord  an  offering  in  righteousness.  Then  shall  the 
offering  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem  be  pleasant  unto  the  Lord, 
as  in  the  days- of  old,  And  as  in  former  years."  (3:1-4.) 

In  conclusion,  we  quote  again :  "For  the  day  of  my  visita- 
tion cometh  speedily,  in  an  hour  when  ye  think  not  of,  and 
where  shall  be  the  safety  of  my  people,  and  refuge  for  those 
who  shall  be  left  of  them?"  (D.  C.  124:10.  Isa.  4:1-4.) 

The  mission  of  John  the  Revelator  is  of  such  great  import- 
ance that  the  Lord  has  described  it  in  many  ways  and  thru 
many  prophets.  Each  time  He  has  added  more  of  the  details, 
and  it  was  while  He  was  laboring  among  those  who  are  now 
known  as  the  American  Indians,  about  the  year  A.  D.  34, 
that  He  again  evidently  enlarged  upon  his  mission;  He 
referred  to  him  in  this  instance  as  the  Marred  Servant. 

THE  MARRED   SERVANT 

The  first  prophecy  concerning  the  Marred  Servant  was 
given  thru  Isaiah  (Chap.  52).  The  Lord,  while  laboring 
among  the  ancestors  of  the  American  Indians,  about  A.  D. 
34,  enlarged  upon  it,  and  commanded  them  to  search  the 
words  of  Isaiah  (which  record  they  had  brought  over  with 
them),  for  in  them,  He  said,  was  to  be  found  the  future 
history  of  the  gathering  of  Israel  as  well  as  the  Gentiles. 
(Ill  Nephi  23:1-5;  20:10-13.) 

He  gave  them  a  prophecy,  covering  their  future  history, 
which  included  the  coming  of  the  Gentiles  to  America,  to 
scatter  their  people  as  judgment  against  them  for  rejecting 
His  gospel.  He  also  informed  them  that  in  later  years  He 
would  restore  the  fullness  of  His  Gospel  unto  those  Gentiles; 
but  if  they,  in  that  day,  sinned  against  it  by  rejecting  it,  then 
would  He  turn  their  iniquities  upon  their  own  heads  (III 
Nephi  16:10-20,  20:14-28),  and  that  He  would  then  restore 

114 


the  land  to  their  seed  (the  Remnant  of  Jacob)  as  the  land 
of  their  inheritance;  and  that  they,  in  that  day,  would 
accept  the  Gospel  and  build  the  New  Jerusalem  assisted  by 
the  Believing  Gentiles. 

This  is  not  the  New  Jerusalem  that  will  come  down  from 
above,  which  will  be  the  capital  of  the  world  after  the  last 
resurrection,  as  seen  by  John  (Rev.  21),  but  the  capital  of 
the  Western  Continent  during  the  one  thousand  years  of 
Christ's  reign  upon  the  earth. 

Of  the  Jews  He  said,  that  when  they  should  believe  Him 
to  be  the  Christ,  He  would  gather  them  to  the  land  of  their 
inheritance,  with  Jerusalem  as  its  capital  (III  Nephi 
20:29-39.  II  Nephi  25:14-17),  and  assured  them  that  when 
the  faith  of  the  Children  of  Israel  should  proclaim,  "How 
beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  Him  that  bring- 
eth  good  tidings  unto  them  that  publisheth  peace;  that 
bringeth  good  tidings  unto  them  of  good,  that  publisheth  sal- 
vation; that  saith  unto  Zion,  thy  God  reigneth!"  (Ill  Nephi 
20:40),  that  He  would  then  fulfil  His  promise  of  sending  the 
Marred  Servant: 

"And  then  shall  a  cry  go  forth,  Depart  ye,  depart  ye,  go 
ye  out  from  thence,  touch  not  that  which  is  unclean;  go  ye 
out  of  the  midst  of  her;  be  ye  clean,  that  bear  the  vessels  of 
the  Lord.  For  ye  shall  not  go  out  with  haste,  nor  go  by 
flight;  for  the  Lord  will  go  before  you,  and  the  God  of  Israel 
shall  be  your  rearward.  Behold,  my  servant  shall  deal  pru- 
dently, he  shall  be  exalted  and  extolled,  and  be  very  high* 
As  many  were  astonished  at  thee,  (his  visage  was  so  marred, 
more  than  any  man,  and  his  form  more  than  the  sons  of 
men,)  so  shall  he  sprinkle  many  nations";  ("Gather  Many 
Nations,"  as  quoted  in  the  Inspired  Translation,  Isa.  52:15), 
"the  kings  shall  shut  their  mouths  at  him,  for  that  which  had 
not  been  told  them  shall  they  see;  and  that  which  they  had 
not  heard  shall  they  consider. 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  all  these  things  shall  surely 
come,  even  as  the  Father  hath  commanded  me.  Then  shall 
this  covenant  which  the  Father  hath  covenanted  with  His 

115 


people,  be  fulfilled;  and  then  shall  Jerusalem  be  inhabited 
again  with  my  people,  and  it  shall  be  the  land  of  their 
inheritance."  Ill  Nephi.  20:41-46. 

The  writer  desires  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
mission  of  gathering  the  nations  is  the  future  mission  of 
John  the  Revelator  (D.  C.  77:8-11,  14);  he  also  wishes  the 
reader  to  note  that  the  above  quotation  refers  more  particu- 
larly to  the  future  labor  of  the  Marred  Servant  among  the 
Jews,  but  that  in  the  following  chapter  of  III  Nephi,  the 
Lord  has  explained  the  mission  of  the  Marred  Servant  among 
the  house  of  Joseph  (Remnants  of  Jacob),  and  the  Gentiles 
of  America,  which  we  will  now  briefly  outline. 

First,  we  learn  that  the  coming  forth  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon was  to  be  a  sign  or  signal  as  to  the  day  when  the  Lord 
would  set  his  hand  the  second  time  to  prepare  His  people  for 
their  gathering.  (Ill  Nephi  21  :l-4.) 

Second,  at  a  still  later  period,  He  would  send  forth  the 
Marred  Servant  who  should  accomplish  a  great  and  marvel- 
ous work  among  kings  as  well  as  among  His  people.  He 
informs  us  that  some  would  reject  him,  and  that  thru  their 
acts  this  servant  would  be  marred.  Then  as  judgment 
against  them,  for  rejecting  His  servant,  He  would  raise  up 
the  Remnants  of  Jacob  against  the  wicked  ones.  * 

The  sending  of  this  servant  to  labor  and  reason  with  men, 
before  the  end  of  time,  is  evidence  sufficient  to  prove  that 
his  coming  is  not  the  coming  of  the  Lord  in  flaming  fire  and 
judgment.  We  now  quote  in  part: 

"Therefore,  when  these  works,  and  the  works  which  shall 
be  wrought  among  you  hereafter,  shall  come  forth  from  the 
Gentiles,  unto  your  seed,  which  shall  dwindle  in  unbelief 
because  of  iniquity;  7.  And  when  these  things  come  to  pass, 
that  thy  seed  shall  begin  to  know  these  things,  it  shall  be 
a  sign  unto  them,  that  they  may  know  that  the  work  of  the 
Father  hath  already  commenced  unto  the  fulfilling  of  the 
covenant  which  he  hath  made  unto  the  people  who  are  of  the 
house  of  Israel."  Ill  Nephi  21:5,  7. 

Ninety  years  have  passed  since  the  plates  from  which  the 

116 


Book  of  Mormon  was  translated  were  turned  over  to  Joseph 
Smith  by  the  Angel  Moroni,  the  prophet  who  had  sealed  them 
up  in  A.  D.  421  and  buried  them  in  Cumorah  Hill,  in  the 
Western  part  of  the  State  of  New  York;  therefore,  we  can 
begin  to  look  for  the  coming  forth  of  this  Marred  Servant. 

The  question  has  been  asked,  "Who  is  the  Marred  Serv- 
ant?" The  present  President  of  the  Church  once  answered 
it  in  such  a  manner  that  this  question  has  since  become  a 
dead  issue  among  many  members  of  the  Priesthood.  His 
answer  was  published  in  the  "Improvement  Era"  (the  Church 
Priesthood  magazine,  p.  652,  Vol.  9,  No.  8),  as  follows: 

"The  perfect  Christ  suffered  the  just  for  the  unjust,  His 
visage  was  so  marred,  more  than  any  man,  and  His  form 
more  than  the  sons  of  men;  .  .  .  (Ill  Nephi  20:44.)" 

We  have  here  a  plain  statement  on  doctrine,  and  we  are 
told  by  our  leaders  that  it  is  to  be  accepted  as  such.  But 
how  can  thinking  members  of  the  Church  accept  this  state- 
ment? For  the  very  act  of  closing  our  eyes  against  the 
Word  of  God  is  nothing  less  than  sinning  that  certain,  griev- 
ous sin  and  walking  in  darkness,  according  to  the  Word  of 
the  Lord.  (D.  C.  95:5-6.  II  John  1:10.) 

The  Lord,  foreseeing  the  condition  of  the  Church  during 
the  last  days,  reserved  several  of  His  mighty  prophets  to 
lead  the  saints  out  of  bondage  and  internal  darkness.  If 
the  Shepherds  of  Israel  would  be  contented  with  believing 
as  they  pleased  on  these  important  subjects,  and  would  allow 
others  to  believe  as  the  Scripture  teaches,  then  we  could 
maintain  our  silence  and  live  in  peace;  but  when  they  wage 
a  war  of  excommunication  and  ostracization  of  the  Saints 
and  Elders  for  believing  and  speaking  on  these  prophecies, 
then  we  may  know  that  they  have  lost  a  portion  of  the  spirit 
of  their  calling,  and  that  these  unrighteous  acts  are  like 
those  of  the  man  who  built  his  house  upon  the  sand  (D.  C. 
85:  6-12;  121:34-40),  and  that  it  is  a  righteous  act  to  con- 
tend for  the  Word  of  God. 

For  conclusive  evidence  that  the  Marred  Servant  and  Jesus 
Christ  are  two  distinct  persons,  previous  quotations  and  the 

117 


following  reasons  are  advanced : 

(1)  The  20th  and  21st  chapters  of  III  Nephi,  with  the 
exception  of  that  portion  which  He  quoted  from  Isaiah,  are 
quotations  from  the  Saviour  while  He  was  laboring  among 
the  Nephites  on  the  American  continent.     He  refers  to  Him- 
self as  follows:     "They  shall  believe  in  me,  that  I  am  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  shall  pray  unto  the  Father  in 
my  name."     (Nephi  20 :31.) 

The  Saviour  is  also  the  author  of  this  prophecy  given  thru 
Isaiah,  therefore,  when  the  Lord  said  thru  Isaiah,  "Behold, 
my  servant  shall  deal  prudently,  he  shall  be  exalted  and 
extolled,  and  be  very  high"  (Isa.  52:13),  He  certainly  did 
not  refer  to  himself. 

(2)  The  Marred  Servant  will  be  marred  more  than  any 
man  (III  Nephi  20:44),  therefore,  he  cannot  be  Jesus  Christ, 
for  His  visage  was  left  perfect  outside  of  the  prints  of  the 
crown  of  thorns. 

(3)  After  the  Lord  had  cited  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  con- 
cerning the  future  mission  of  this  servant,  and  enlarged  upon 
it,  informing  them  that  this  servant's  coming  was  to  be  after 
the  coming  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  He  then  plainly  stated 
that  this  servant  would  be  in  His  hands,  and  that  they  would 
not  hurt  him;  hence  the  Marred  Servant  cannot  be  the  Lord 
Himself;  neither  can  it  be  Joseph  Smith,  for  they  suffered 
martyrdom. 

(4)  Note    the    following    quotation,    observing    how    dis- 
tinctly the  language  brings  out  the  fact  that  the  Lord  and 
the  Marred  Servant  are  two  distinct  persons;  and  that  the 
coming  of  this  Marred  Servant  will  be  at  the  time  of  the 
fulfillment  of  His  covenant  with  the  House  of  Israel,  which 
we  are  told  elsewhere  will  be  the  Great  and  Marvelous  Work 
of  the  Lord  in  redeeming  Israel  and  restoring  them  to  the 
lands  of  their  inheritance.     Also  observe  that  this  servant 
is   to   bring   forth   a   record,   which,   to   the   writer's   under- 
standing, will  be  the  sealed  revelations  and  writings  of  John. 
(Ether  4:13-16,  D.  C.  93 ;6,  18.) 

"And  when  that  day  shall  come"  (the  coming  forth  of  the 

118 


Book  of  Mormon)  "it  shall  come  to  pass"  (at  a  later  period) 
"that  kings  shall  shut  their  mouths;  for  that  which  had  not 
been  told  them  shall  they  see ;  and  that  which  they  had  not 
heard  shall  they  consider.  For  in  that  day,  for  my  sake, 
shall  the  Father  work  a  work,  which  shall  be  a  great  and 
marvelous  work  among  them;  and  there  shall  be  among  them 
who  will  not  believe  it,  although  a  man  shall  declare  it  unto 
them. 

/'But  behold,  the  life  of  my  servant  shall  be  in  my  hands; 
therefore  they  shall  not  hurt  him,  although  he  shall  be 
marred  because  of  them.  Yet  I  will  heal  him,  for  I  will 
shew  unto  them  that  my  wisdom  is  greater  than  the  cunning 
of  the  devil.  Therefore,  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  who- 
soever will  not  believe  in  my  words,  who  am  Jesus  Christ, 
whom  the  Father  shall  cause  him  to  bring  forth  unto  the 
Gentiles,  and  shall  give  unto  him  power  that  he  shall  bring 
them  forth  unto  the  Gentiles,  (it  shall  be  done  even  as  Moses 
said,)  they  shall  be  cut  off  from  among  my  people  who  are 
of  the  covenant."  Ill  Nephi  21:8-11. 

It  may  appear  to  some  that  Christ  alone  will  have  power 
to  cut  off  the  wicked;  but  if  the  reader  will  refer  to  the 
future  mission  of  John  (D.  C.  77:8-11,  14)  it  will  be  seen 
that  he  is  to  have  the  power  to  gather  all  Israel,  as  well  as 
to  seal  up  the  servants  of  God  in  their  foreheads,  and  to 
have  charge  of  the  Four  Destroying  Angels,  who  will  have 
power  over  life  and  death. 

Great  judgments  are  now  being  poured  out  upon  the 
nations,  and  before  they  are  completed,  they  will  bring  about 
the ,  preparing  of  the  lands  for  Israel's  inheritance,  as  well 
as  the  washing  of  the  filth  of  wickedness  from  among  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  Israel.  This  must  take  place  before 
they  are  permitted  to  receive  their  final  inheritance  in  the 
kingdom  that  will  soon  be  set  up  in  its  fullness.  (II  Nephi 
14:1-6.  Isa.  4.  I  Nephi  14:1-7.) 

These  judgments  will  fall  on  those  of  our  priesthood  and 
saints  who  have  accepted  a  portion  of  the  Gospel,  known  as 
the  first  principles,  but  have  closed  their  eyes  or  rejected  the 

119 


greater  things.     The  Lord  has  said : 

"Behold,  vengeance  cometh  speedily  upon  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth,  a  day  of  wrath,  a  day  of  burning,  a  day  of 
desolation,  of  weeping,  of  mourning,  and  of  lamentation,  and 
as  a.  whirlwind  it  shall  come  upon  all  the  face  of  the  earth, 
saith  the  Lord.  And  upon  my  house  shall  it  begin,  and  from 
my  house  shall  it  go  forth,  saith  the  Lord.  First  among 
those  among'you,  saith  the  Lord,  who  have  professed  to  know 
my  name  and  have  not  known  me,  and  have  blasphemed 
against  me  in  the  midst  of  my  house,  saith  the  Lord."  D.  C. 
112:24-26.  D.  C.  97:19-26. 

After  the  Lord  had  outlined  the  mission  of  this  Marred 
Servant,  and  the  foreseen  judgment  against  the  Gentiles  for 
rejecting  His  Gospel  in  the  latter  days,  He  sums  up  the 
closing  events,  pointing  out  that  this  land  is  likewise  to  be 
given  to  the  Believing  Gentiles  and  that  they  are  to  be  num- 
bered with  Israel. 

"And  they  shall  assist  my  people,  the  Remnants  of  Jacob, 
and  also  as  many  of  the  House  of  Israel  as  shall  come,  that 
they  may  build  a  city,  which  shall  be  called  the  New  Jeru- 
salem; And  then  shall  they  assist  my  people,  that  they  may 
be  gathered  in,  who  are  scattered  upon  all  the  face  of  the 
land,  in  unto  the  New  Jerusalem.  And  then  shall  the  power 
of  heaven  come  down  among  them;  and  I  also  will  be  in 
the  midst.  And  they  shall  go  out  from  all  nations;  and  they 
shall  not  go  out  in  haste,  nor  go  by  flight,  for  I  will  go  before 
them,  saith  the  Father,  and  I  will  be  their  rearward."  Ill 
Nephi  21:23-25,  29. 

At  that  time  all  Israel,  which  will  include  the  Ten  Lost 
Tribes,  will  be  gathered.  This  will  fulfil  the  covenant  that 
He  made  with  the  House  of  Israel.  (Verses  26-28,  and  22nd 
chapter.)  One  of  the  reasons  why  they  are  to  build  this 
great  city,  with  the  believing  Gentiles  assisting,  lies  in  the 
fact  that  the  number  of  the  believers  possessing  the  natural 
blood  of  Israel  will  then  outnumber  the  believing  Gentiles. 
We  quote  the  continuation  of  His  words : 

"And  then  shall  that  which  is  written  come  to  pass.     Sing, 

120 


0  abarren,  thou  that  didst  not  bear;  break  forth  into  singing, 
and  cry  aloud,  thou  that  didst  not  travail  with  child;  for 
more  are  the  children  of  the  desolate  than  the  children  of  the 
"married  wife,  saith  the  Lord.  Enlarge  the  place  of  thy 
tent,  and  let  them  stretch  forth  the  curtains  of  thy  habita- 
tions; spare  not,  lengthen  thy  cords  and  strengthen  thy 
stakes;  For  thou  shall  break  forth  on. thy  right  hand  and  on 
the  left,  and  thy  seed  shall  inherit  the  Gentiles,  and  make 
the  desolate  cities  to  be  inhabited."  (Ill  Nephi  22:1-3.) 

Thus  the  judgments  that  will  overtake  the  Gentiles  for 
rejecting  the  Restored  Gospel  and  Prophets  of  God,  will  be 
similar  to  those  sent  against  the  Jews  in  former  years.  They 
have  up  to  the  present  time  chosen  man-made  Priesthood, 
and  have  rejected  and  laughed  to  scorn  those  whom  the  Lord 
has  sent;  and,  according  to  prophecy,  their  course  will  not 
be  changed.  (D.  C.  45:24-33.  D.  C.  87:5-8.) 

More  than  ample  evidence  has  been  given  to  establish  the 
fact  that  the  Marred  Servant  and  Jesus  Christ  are  two  differ- 
ent persons,  and  that  the  future  mission  of  the  Marred 
Servant  is  identical  with  that  of  John's;  therefore,  the  only 
logical  conclusion  is  that  the  Marred  Servant  is  to  be  John 
the  Revelator, — the  great  future  Elias, — who,  not  only  is 
to  gather  Israel,  but  to  sanctify  them,  in  order  that  they  will 
be  able  tp  abide  the  consuming  fire  of  the  Glory  of  the  Lord 
at  His  coming. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

SEALING  UNTO  ETERNAL  LIFE  AND  SANCTIFICATION 

OF  THE  BODY  BY  JOHN  THE  REVELATOR  AND 

THE  FOUR  DESTROYING  ANGELS 

"No  man  has  seen  God  at  any  time  in  the  flesh,  except 
quickened  by  the  Spirit  of  God";  which  blessing,  in  every 
instance,  has  come  to  man  by  way  of  his  righteousness  in 
obeying  the  Laws  of  God.  "Neither  can  any  natural  man 

alsrael. 

cThe  Gentiles. 

121 


abide  in  the  presence  of  God;  neither  after  the  carnal  mind; 
Ye  are  not  able  to  abide  the  presence  of  God  now,  neither 
the  ministering  of  angels;  wherefore  continue  in  patience 
until  ye  are  perfected."  (D.  C.  67:11-13. 

In  other  words,  the  fire  of  Glory  that  surrounds  the  Father 
and  Son  is  greater  than  mortal  eye  and  flesh  can  endure. 
(D.  C.  130:-6-9.  Isa.  33:13-15.  II  Thes.  1:7-9.)  It  was 
thru  wickedness  that  the  language  of  Adam  was  changed, 
and  no  doubt  it  included  his  race  (Gen.  11:1-9) ;  but  it  will 
be  thru  righteousness  that  they  will  be  united  in  one  com- 
mon family  again.  This  harmonizes  with  Paul's  teachings. 
(Gal.  3:26-29.)  Therefore  it  behooves  a  man  to  place  him- 
self in  a  position  to  receive  these  blessings.  Joseph  Smith 
said  that  when  a  Gentile  receives  the  Restored  Gospel,  which 
includes  baptism  by  immersion  and  receiving  the  Holy  Ghost 
thru  the  laying  on  of  hands,  his  blood  is  actually  changed  to 
that  of  the  seed  of  Abraham.  (J.  S.  T.,  pages  21-22;  C.  H., 
Vol.  3,  p.  380.) 

The  adoption  into  the  one  common  family  of  the  children 
of  God  is  the  first  great  step  toward  going  back  into  the 
presence  of  God.  The  second  step  is  obtained  by  making 
ourselves  useful,  entering  the  Priesthood,  and  magnifying 
in  righteousness  our  various  callings  and  talents,  which,  in 
time,  will  result  in  our  bodies  being  sanctified.  When  man 
reaches  this  condition  he  will  be  able  to  abide  the  presence 
of  God  and  His  glory  of  consuming  fire. 

"For  whoso  is  faithful  unto  the  obtaining  these  two  Priest- 
hoods of  which  I  have  spoken,  and  the  magnifying  their  call- 
ings, are  sanctified  by  the  Spirit  unto  the  renewing  of  their 
bodies;  They  become  the  Sons  of  Moses  and  of  Aaron  and 
the  Seed  of  Abraham,  and  the  Church  and  Kingdom,  and 
the  elect  of  God."  D.  C.  84:33-34. 

It  was  the  desire  of  Moses  to  sanctify  his  people;  but  they 
would  not;  and,  therefore,  they  failed  to  complete  their 
redemption  while  in  the  flesh. 

"And  without  the  ordinances  thereof,  and  the  authority 
of  the  Priesthood,  the  power  of  Godliness  is  not  manifest 

122 


unto  men  in  the  flesh;  For  without  this  no  man  can  see  the 
Face  of  God,  even  the  Father,  and  live.  Now  this  Moses 
plainly  taught  to  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness, 
and  sought  diligently  to  sanctify  his  people  that  they  might 
behold  the  face  of  God;  But  they  hardened  their  hearts  and 
could  not  endure  his  presence,  therefore,  the  Lord,  in  His 
wrath  .  .  .  swore  that  they  should  not  enter  into 
His  rest  while  in  the  wilderness,  which  rest  is  the  fullness 
of  His  Glory."  D.  C.  84 :  21-24.  (Exod.  19 :  10-24.) 

It  will  be  .thru  obeying  the  laws  of  Christ  that  we  shall 
become  sanctified  and  be  able  to  inherit  this  earth  after  it 
receives  its  celestial  glory. 

"And  they  who  are  not  sanctified  thru  the  law  which  I 
have  given  unto  you,  even  the  law  of  Christ,  must  inherit 
another  kingdom,  even  that  of  a  Terrestrial  kingdom,  or 
that  of  a  Telestial  kingdom."  D.  C.  88:21.  The  Lord, 
speaking  of  Zion's  final  redemption  says:  "But,  firstly,  let 
my  army  become  very  great,  and  let  it  be  sanctified  before 
me,  that  it  may  become  fair  as  the  sun,  and  clear  as  the 
moon,  and  that  her  banners  may  be  terrible  unto  all  nations; 
That  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  may  be  constrained  to  ac- 
knowledge, that  the  kingdom  of  Zion  is  in  very  deed  the 
kingdom  of  our  God  and  His  Christ;  therefore,  let  us  become 
subject  unto  her  Laws."  D.  C.  105:  31-32. 

According  to  this,  the  Saints  who  will  be  permitted  to 
redeem  Zion  must  first  be  sanctified.  In  the  34th  and  35th 
verses  we  find  that  the  perfect  laws  which  pertain  to  Zion 
are  to  be  executed  after  her  redemption;  but  in  the  mean- 
time the  Saints  must  choose  those  who  are  worthy  to  labor 
in  the  cause  of  Zion  until  she  is  redeemed.  The  Lord  con- 
tinues by  informing  us  that  He  will,  at  that  time,  have  a 
servant  who  will  sanctify  those  that  will  be  chosen,  and  that 
they  will  then  be  able  to  redeem  Zion. 

"And  it  shall  be  manifest  unto  my  servant,  by  the  voice 
of  the  spirit,  those  that  are  chosen,  and  they  shall  be  sancti- 
fied; and  inasmuch  as  they  follow  the  counsel  which  they 
receive,  they  shall  have  power  after  many  days  to  accom 

123 


plish  all  things  pertaining  to  Zion."     D.  C.  105 :  36-37. 

If  to  be  "sanctified"  only  means  to  reach  a  condition  of 
having  pure  thoughts  and  desires,  then  for  what  reason  is 
it  to  be  revealed  to  the  Lord's  Servant  after  this  condition 
has  been  obtained  and  completed  by  the  individual?  For 
this  particular  Servant  would  not  be  able  to  add  to  the  sanc- 
tification  of  the  individual;  for  as  soon  as  the  individual 
reached  this  condition,  he  would  then  have  automatically 
sanctified  himself.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  who  will  be 
called  to  redeem  Zion  will  not  only  be  sanctified  mentally, 
but  will  have  a  change  wrought  upon  their  bodies,  in  order 
for  them  to  be  able  to  fulfil  their  mission  and  endure  the 
consuming  fire  of  the  Lord's  glory,  which  fire  of  glory  will 
destroy  the  wicked  at  His  coming;  "for  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  shall  be  as  the  melting  fire  that  burneth,  and  as  the 
fire  which  causeth  the  waters  to  boil."  D.  C.  133:  41.  (II 
Thes.  1:  6-8,  D.  C.  63:  32-37.)  Malachi  predicts: 

"Behold,  the  day  cometh,  that  shall  burn  as  an  oven;  and 
all  the  proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly,  shall  be  stubble; 
and  the  day  that  cometh  shall  burn  them  up,  saith  the  Lord 
of  Hosts,  that  it  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor  branch." 
4:  1. 

While  Malachi  gives  the  future  destiny  of  the  wicked,  Joel 
gives  us  an  outline  of  the  closing  scenes  among  the  righteous; 
both  speaking  of  the  same  day;  Joel  declares  triumphantly: 

"Blow  ye  the  trumpet  in  Zion,  and  sound  an  alarm  in  my 
holy  mountain;  let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  land  tremble, 
for  the  day  of  the  Lord  cometh,  for  it  is  nigh  at  hand."  2 :  1. 

Joel  speaks  of  a  great  war  and  other  events  which  will 
closely  precede  the  coming  of  the  Lord  (3rd  Chapter) ;  he 
also  refers  to  a  mighty  Northern  army  (2:20),  called  the 
Lord's  army  (2:11),  to  come  near  the  time  of  the  great 
day  of  the  Lord  (2:1).  As  follows: 

"A  day  of  darkness  and  of  gloominess  ...  a  great 
people  and  a  strong;  there  hath  not  been  ever  the  like, 
neither  shall  be  any  more  after  it  ...  A  fire  devoureth 
before  them;  and  behind  them  a  flame  burneth;  the  land 

124 


is  as  the  Garden  of  Eden  before  them,  and  behind  them  a 
desolate  wilderness;   yea,   and   nothing  shall    escape    them 

a     strong    people     set    in      battle     array. 
Neither  shall  one  thrust  another;  they  shall  walk  every  one 
in  his  path;  and  when  they  fall  upon   the  sword,   they  shall 
not  be  wounded."     2  :2-5,  8.     (Isa.  13  :1-13.)     See  pages  149- 
152  herein  for  the  mission  and  result  of  this  army.) 

From  the  above  quotation,  we  learn  that  the  individuals 
of  this  army  will  possess  bodies  that  the  sword  will  be  un- 
able to  wound,  which  strongly  denotes  that  they  will  be 
sanctified  in  the  flesh.  This  remarkable  prophecy  continues 
by  saying  that  God's  people  shall  be  gathered  and  sanctified 
at  that  day,  as  in  the  following: 

"Blow  the  trumpet  in  Zion,  sanctify  a  fast,  call  a  solemn 
assembly;  Gather  the  people,  sanctify  the  congregation,  as- 
semble the  elders,  gather  the  children,  and  those  that  suck 
the  breasts;  let  the  bridegroom  go  forth  of  his  chamber,  and 
the  bride  out  of  her  closet."  2 :  15-16. 

The  gathering  of  these  people  and  the  sanctifying  of 
their  bodies  will  be  for  the  purpose  of  giving  them  pro- 
tection, and  preparing  them  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord, 
when  deliverance  will  be  found  in  Zion  and  Jerusalem.  Joel 
declares  :e 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  whosoever  shall  call  on 
the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  delivered;  for  in  Mount  Zion" 
(Missouri),  "and  in  Jerusalem  shall  be  deliverance,  as  the 
Lord  hath  said,  and  in  the  remnant  whom  the  Lord  shall 
call."  Joel  2:  32.  (D.  C.  133 :  9-15.) 

The  special  thought  of  the  above  prophecy  is  that  the 
righteous  are  to  be  called  together  and  sanctified.  This 
blessing  is  not  within  our  reach  at  the  present  time,  and 
will  not  be  until  John  the  Revelator  comes  to  prepare  the 
Saints  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord;  then  it  will  be  essential 
for  them  to  be  sanctified  in  the  flesh,  which  will  place  them 
in  a  condition  to  overcome  the  powers  of  Satan,  to  build  up 
the  Kingdom,  and  to  be  caught  up  to  meet  the  Lord  in  His 
glory  at  His  coming.  (Ill  Nephi.  28:  39-40.) 

125 


Paul  tells  us  that  "the  Lord  shall  be  revealed  from  heaven 
with  His  mighty  angels.  In  flaming  fire  taking  vengeance 
on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  Gospel 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  II  Thes.  1 :  7-8. 

Many  blessings  are  yet  to  be  given  unto  the  Saints,  but 
let  us  not  think  that  because  we  have  been  called  and  or- 
dained, that  we  will  be  chosen,  for  the  Lord  has  said:  "Be- 
hold, verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  there  are  many  who  have 
been  ordained  among  you,  whom  I  have  called,  but  few  of 
them  are  chosen."  (D.  C.  95:5;  121:34-40.)  Therefore, 
in  order  that  we  may  be  chosen,  we  will  have  to  make  our 
calling  and  election  sure;  and  to  this  end  we  are  told  to  look 
forward  to  the  coming  of  John  the  Revelator  and  the  Four 
Destroying  Angels  for  these  blessings;  for  thru  prophecy 
we  learn  that  they  are  to  come,  holding  the  Seal  of  God 
over  the  Twelve  Tribes  of  Israel. 

Joseph  Smith  says  they  are:  "Four  destroying  angels 
holding  power  over  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth  until  the 
servants  of  God  are  sealed  in  their  foreheads,  which  signifies 
sealing  the  blessing  upon  their  heads,  meaning  the  ever- 
lasting covenant,  thereby  making  their  calling  and  election 
sure."  Compendium,  p.  279. 

Now,  while  those  who  receive  this  blessing  will  have  gained 
their  Salvation  thru  the  Everlasting  Covenant;  yet  what  is 
meant  by  "making  their  calling  and  election  sure?"  Joseph 
Smith  once  referred  to  Peter's  testimony  (II  Peter  1:  9-21) 
and  stated  that  the  apostle  had  heard  the  voice  of  the  Father, 
on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration,  declaring  that  Jesus  was 
His  beloved  Son;  he  also  pointed  out  that  Peter  had  received 
the  "more  sure  word  of  prophecy."  Note  the  following: 

"Though  they  might  hear  the  voice  of  God  and  know  that 
Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  this  would  be  no  evidence  that 
their  election  and  calling  was  made  sure,  that  they  had 
part  with  Christ,  and  were  joint  heirs  with  Him.  They 
then  would  want  that  more  sure  word  of  prophecy,  that  they 
were  sealed  in  the  heavens  and  had  the  promise  of  eternal 
life  in  the  Kingdom  of  God."  J.  S.  T.,  p.  148-9.  (C.  H., 

126 


Vol.  5,  p.  387.) 

Men  shrink  from  the  thought  of  living  during  the  closing 
days  of  tribulation ;  but  with  the  Key  of  Knowledge,  as  given 
thru  Joseph  Smith,  we  are  able  to  see  that  there  will  be  joy 
and  a  consoling  rest  within  the  reach  of  the  righteous  dur- 
ing these  days;  for  the  Four  Destroying  Angels  or  prophets 
with  John  as  their  leader  (Rev.  7:  1-3,  D.  C.  77:  8-11)  will 
sanctify  the  bodies  of  the  Saints  and  give  unto  them  the 
sure  promise  of  eternal  life,  thus  sealing  them  up  in  the 
Kingdom  of  God.  However,  this  blessing  cannot  be  obtained 
by  man  unless  he  has  gained  his  salvation;  upon  which 
Joseph  Smith  says: 

"Salvation  means  a  man  being  placed  beyond  the  power 
of  all  his  enemies.  .  .  .  The  more  sure  word  of  prophecy 
means  a  man  knowing  that  he  is  sealed  up  unto  eternal  life 
by  revelation  and  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  thru  the  power  of 
the  holy  Priesthood."  J.  S.  T.  p.  146.  (C.  H.  Vol.  5,  p.  392.) 

"Salvation  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  to  triumph  over 
all  our  enemies  and  put  them  under  our  feet.  And  when 
we  have  power  to  put  all  enemies  under  our  feet  in  this 
world,  and  a  knowledge  to  triumph  over  all  evil  spirits  in 
the  world  to  come,  then  we  are  saved.  .  ..  Then  I 

would  exhort  you  to  go  on  and  continue  to  call  upon  God 
until  you  make  your  calling  and  election  sure  for  yourselves, 
by  obtaining  this  more  sure  word  of  prophecy,  and  wait  pa- 
tiently for  the  promise  until  you  obtain  it.".  J.  S.  T.  p.  147, 
149-150.  (C.  H.  Vol.  5,  p.  387,  given  in  1843.) 

While  death  is  man's  last  enemy  he  will  be  able  to  gain 
a  knowledge  of  his  salvation  while  in  the  flesh  through  the 
"spirit  of  revelation  which  will  be  conveyed  thru  John  and 
the  Four  Angels;  for  "Salvation  is  for  a  man  to  be  saved 
from  all  his  enemies;  for  until  man  can  triumph  over  death, 
he  is  not  saved.  A  knowledge  of  the  Priesthood  alone  will 
do  this."  J.  S.  T.  p.  146.  (C.  H.  Vol.  5,  p.  403.) 

In  order  that  the  Saints  may  receive  this  blessing  in  its 
fullness  Satan's  power  must  be  crushed.  This  can  only  be 
accomplished  by  the  sanctification  of  the  body.  Thus  they 

127 


would  become  as  John  and  the  three  Nephites.  As  to  the 
Nephites,  we  quote: 

"Therefore,  that  they  might  not  taste  of  death,  there  was 
a  change  wrought  upon  their  bodies,  that  they  might  not 
suffer  pain  nor  sorrow,  save  it  were  for  the  sins  of  the  world. 
Now  this  change  was  not  equal  to  that  which  should  take 
place  at  the  last  day;  but  there  was  a  change  wrought  upon 
them,  insomuch  that  Satan  could  have  no  power  over  them, 
that  he  could  not  tempt  them,  and  they  were  sanctified  in 
the  flesh,  that  they  were  holy,  and  that  the  powers  of  the 
earth  could  not  hold  them.  And  in  this  state  they  were  to 
remain  until  the  judgment  day  of  Christ."  Ill  Nephi.  28: 
38-40. 

Judging  from  the  description  of  the  future  mission  of  these 
three  Nephites  and  the  fact  of  their  bodies  being  preserved, 
it  appears  that  they  may  be  three  of  the  four  angels,  who 
are  to  labor  in  person  with  John  in  converting  and  gathering 
Israel,  as  their  desire  was  the  same  as  John's.  We  quote  in 
part: 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  the  Lord  seeth  fit  in  his 
wisdom,  that  they  shall  minister  unto  all  the  scattered  tribes 
of  Israel,  and  unto  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues  and  people, 
and  shall  bring  out  of  them  unto  Jesus  many  souls,  that  their 
desire  may  be  fulfilled,  and  also  because  of  the  convincing 
power  of  God  which  is  in  them;  And  they  are  as  the  angels 
of  God,  and  if  they  shall  pray  unto  the  Father  in  the  name 
of  Jesus,  they  can  shew  themselves  unto  whatsoever  man  it 
seemeth  them  good;  Therefore  great  and  marvelous  works 
shall  be  wrought  by  them,  before  the  great  and  coming  day, 
when  all  people  must  surely  stand  before  the  Judgment  seat 
of  Christ;  Yea,  even  among  the  Gentiles  shall  there  be  a 
great  and  marvelous  work  wrought  by  them,  before  that 
judgment  day."  Ill  Nephi.  28:29-32.  (D.  C.  130:4-5.) 

The  identity  of  the  fourth  character  is  likewise  not  dis- 
closed in  the  records;  but  the  Prophet  Ether  informs  us  that 
he  was  the  last  soul  left  of  a  people  who  came  from  the 
Tower  of  Babel  (Ether  1:33.  Gen.  11:1-9)  to  America,  at 

128 


the  time  when  God  scattered  His  people  over  the  face  of  the 
whole  earth.  On  account  of  wickedness  years  later  these 
people  were  all,  with  the  exception  of  Ether,  destroyed 
thru  wars  and  various  plagues.  In  the  concluding  words  of 
his  history  Ether  informs  us  of  the  possibility  of  his  transla- 
tion (Ether  15:34).  He  therefore  may  have  been  reserved 
for  a  future  mission.  J.  S.  T.  p.  186.  C.  H.  Vol.  4,  p.  425. 

According  to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  Ether's  records  were 
later  found  by  the  people  of  Lehi,  who  left  Jerusalem  and 
came  to  America  in  600  B.  C.  (Mosiah  8:  7-12.) 

With  this  brief  outline  of  a  part  of  the  future  mission  of 
John  and  the  Four  Angels,  and  their  joint  work  of  sealing 
up  the  righteous  and  sanctifying  their  bodies,  we  will  now 
consider  their  labor  of  calling  and  sending  out  the  144,000. 

THE   144,000 
THEIR  MISSION,  CALLING  AND  SEALING 

The  Seventh  Chapter  of  Revelation  gives  an  outline  of 
some  of  the  things  which  John  the  Revelator  saw  in  vision 
(in  the  spirit)  while  on  the  Isle  of  Patmos.  It  covers  the 
future  event  of  sending  forth  the  Four  Angels,  who  are  to 
seal  upc  the  righteous  and  curse  the  wicked,  just  prior  to 
the  coming  of  Christ.  He  likewise  saw  a  vast  multitude  of 
God's  people,  whom  they  had  gathered  from  every  nation, 
during  the  days  of  the  great  tribulation. 

A  fuller  explanation  of  this  revelation  was  given  to 
Joseph  Smith  in  answer  to  the  question:  "What  are  we  to 
understand  by  the  four  angels,  spoken  of  in  the  7th  Chapter 
and  1st  verse  of  Revelations?  We  are  to  understand  that 
they  are  four  angels  sent  forth  from  God,  to  whom  is  given 
power  over  the  four  parts  of  the  earth,  to  save  life  and  to 
destroy;  these  are  they  who  have  the  everlasting  gospel  to 
commit  to  every  nation,  kindred,  tongue  and  people;  having 
power  to  shut  up  the  heavens,  to  seal  up  unto  life,  or  to  cast 
down  to  the  regions  of  darkness. 

"What  are  wo  to  understand  by  the  angel  ascending  from 
the  East,  Revelations,  7th  Chapter  and  2nd  verse?  We  are 

129 


to  understand  that  the  angel  ascending  from  the  East,  is  he 
to  whom  is  given  the  seal  of  the  living  God,  over  the  Twelve 
Trites  of  Israel;  wherefore,  he  crieth  unto  the  four  angels 
having  the  everlasting  gospel,  saying,  hurt  not  the  earth, 
neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  till  we  have  sealed  the  servants 
of  our  God  in  their  foreheads;  and  if  you  will  receive  it, 
this  is  Elias  which  was  to  come  to  gather  together  the  Tribes 
of  Israel  and  restore  all  things. 

"What  are  we  to  understand  by  the  little  book  which  was 
eaten  by  John,  as  mentioned  in  the  10th  Chapter  of  Revela- 
tions? We  are  to  understand  that  it  was  a  mission,  and  an 
ordinance,  for  him  to  gather  the  Tribes  of  Israel;  behold, 
this  is  Elias,  who,  as  it  is  written,  must  come  and  restore 
all  things."  D.  C.  77:8-9,  14. 

The  above  three  verses  alone  furnish  us  absolute  con- 
clusive evidence  that  John  and  the  four  angels  or  prophets 
have  a  marvelous  future  mission  to  perform  among  men 
in  preparing  them  for  the  coming  of  Christ. 

The  sealing  of  the  Servants  of  God  in  their  foreheads  will 
include  the  sanctifying  of  their  bodies  and  the  receiving  of 
their  Father's  name  written  in  their  foreheads,  with  the 
promise  of  eternal  life,  and  the  mission  of  the  four  angels 
will  include  the  cursing  of  the  wicked  with  death,  and  the 
sending  of  their  spirits  to  hell,  which  is  far  greater  power 
than  the  Priesthood  holds  today.  This  seal  of  God,  that  they 
are  to  place  upon  the  righteous,  will  also  save  them  from 
the  plagues  that  are  to  be  sent  upon  the  wicked.  (D.  C. 
133:10-19;  Comp.  p.  279,  Sealing  of  the  Servants  of  God; 
also  p.  275,  The  More  Sure  Word  of  Prophecy.) 

"And  it  was  commanded  them  that  they  should  not  hurt 
the  grass  of  the  earth,  neither  any  green  thing,  neither  any 
tree;  but  only  those  men  which  have  not  the  seal  of  God  in 
their  foreheads."  (Rev.  9:4.) 

The  overcoming  of  the  powers  of  wickedness  and  the  con- 
vincing of  the  honest  in  heart  of  the  plans  of  God  and  the 
gathering  of  them  to  Jerusalem  and  to  Zion,  will  be  a  work 
of  such  magnitude  that  many  laborers  will  be  required. 

130 


Therefore,  the  Lord  has  planned  for  144,000  of  Israel's  best 
blood  to  be  ordained  and  sent  forth  to  accomplish  this  work. 
Where  they  are  to  come  from  and  who  is  to  ordain  them, 
has  been  answered  by  the  Lord  in  the  following  verse: 

"What  are  we  to  understand  by  sealing  the  144,000  out 
of  all  the  tribes  of  Israel;  12,000  out  of  every  tribe?  We 
are  to  understand  that  those  who  are  sealed  are  2dHigh 
Priests,  ordained  unto  the  holy  order  of  God,  to  administer 
the  everlasting  gospel;  for  they  are  they  who  are  ordained 
out  of  every  nation,  kindred,  tongue  and  people,  by  2fthe 
angels  to  whom  is  given  power  over  the  nations  of  the  earth, 
to  bring  as  many  as  will  come  to  the  Church  of  the  First 
Born."  D.  C.  77:11. 

The  points  of  interest  brought  out  here  are: 

(1)  John  and  the  Four  Angels  are  to  have  charge  of 
ordaining  and  sending  them  forth;  the  late  Apostle  Orson 
Pratt,  in  his  foot  notes  under  the  above  verse,  says:  2d"These 
144,000  High  Priests  are  messengers  sent  forth  to  prepare 
the  way  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord,"  who  will  be  "ordained 
by  angels  who  are  in  possession  of  the  High  Priesthood." 

(2)  These  144,000  are  to  be  ordained  equally  from  the 
twelve  tribes.     It  is  amusing  to  know  the  arguments  that 
many  cinembers  of  our  Priesthood  are  using  in  trying  to  ex- 
plain the  above  quotation.     We  cannot  quote  them  all;  but 
it  is  sufficient  to  say,  that  they  are  teaching  that  the  144,000 
includes  all  the  High  Priests  that  have  been  ordained  during 
the  last  eighty-seven  years;  thus  they  are  overlooking  the 
fact  that  they  have  been  ordained  from  among  the  Gentiles. 
However,  many  of  them  have  a  portion   of  the  blood   of 
Ephraim  in  their  veins.     But  the  record  says  that  they  are  to 
come   equally    from   each   tribe;    at   present,   the     gospel     is 
among  the  Gentiles.     It  is  yet  to  go  to  Juda  and  Joseph; 
furthermore,  the  ten  tribes  are  not  with  us.     D.  C.  90:  8-11. 
D.  C.  45:  24-30.     D.  C.  14:  10.   Title  page,  Book  of  Mormon. 
D.  C.  109:  60.    For  Ten  Tribes  see  p.  156.) 

(3)  When  the  twelve  tribes  begin  their  final  gathering, 
John  and  the  Four  Angels  will  know  to  which  tribe  every 

131 


man  belongs;  whereas,  we  are  only  able  to  identify  the  tribe 
of  Juda  and  a  part  of  Ephraim.  We  must  not  forget  that 
Joseph  Smith  commanded  our  first  quorum  of  apostles  to 
go  and  "preach  among  the  Gentiles  until  the  Lord  shall  com- 
mand them  to  go  to  the  Jews."  (C.  H.  Vol.  2,  p.  200.)  This 
commandment  has  never  been  received,  nor  does  the  writer 
look  for  it  until  the  Lord  takes  the  gospel  from  the  Gentiles 
and  sends  it  to  Juda  and  Joseph  (Ephraim)  thru  His  chosen 
Prophets,  whom  He  will  send  in  due  time.  (D.  C.  19:  26-27; 
77:15;  Rev.  II  ,Chap.;  Ill  Nephi.  16:4-12;  20:11-46;  21:1- 
29.  See  Marred  Servant.) 

(4)  The  results  of  the  great  mission  of  gathering  Israel 
by  the  four  angels,  John  and  the  144,000,  are  powerfully 
expressed  in  Rev.  7:  9,  13-14,  as  follows: 

"After  this  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  great  multitude,  which  no 
man  could  number,  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  peo- 
ple, and  tongues,  stood  before  the  throne,  and  before  the 
Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands. 
And  one  of  the  Elders  answered,  saying  unto  .me,  'What  are 
these  which  are  arrayed  in  white  robes?  and  whence  came 
they?'  And  I  said  unto  him,  'Sir,  thou  knowest.'  And  he 
said  to  me,  'These  are  they  which  came  out  of  great  tribula- 
tion, and  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb.'  " 

These  great  and  marvelous  events  will  soon  be  fulfilled; 
Elijah,  John  and  David  (Israel's  future  king)  will  have  the 
kingdom  of  God  established  in  its  fullness  by  the  time  these 
events  take  place.  The  kingdoms  of  the  world  will  be 
crumbling.  The  144,000  will  go  forth,  sanctified  in  the 
flesh;  thus  preserved  against  the  powers  of  the  wicked.  This 
will  enable  them  to  perform  their  mission  of  building  up 
the  Kingdom  of  God,  which  will  be  completed  during  the 
days  of  great  tribulation  and  trying  times  when  war  and 
plagues  will  cover  the  earth. 

Lucifer,  knowing  that  his  time  is  short,  and  that  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord  to  receive  the  Kingdom  is  nigh  at  hand  will 
be  exercising  at  that  time  his  full  power  to  deceive.  (Math. 

132 


24:3-30;  D.  C.  45:28-33,  66-71;  C.  H.  Vol.  2,  p.  52;  Dan. 
12:1-4;  II  Thes.  2nd  Chap.)  But  he  and  those  who  love 
his  ways  will  come  to  their  end,  while  David's  kingdom  and 
his  people  will  weather  the  storm  of  plagues  thru  the  power 
of  the  Lord's  mighty  prophets.  Well  should  we  rejoice  in 
the  promise  of  their  leadership,  for  this  work  will  be  beyond 
the  power  that  has  been  invested  in  mortal  man. 

THE  VISIONS  OF  NEPHI  AND  EZEKIEL 

Quotations  from  many  prophets,  who  have  seen  by  vision 
or  have  been  given  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  concerning  John's 
great  future  mission  have  been  previously  set  forth.  Atten- 
tion is  now  called  to  the  visions  of  Nephi  and  Ezekiel. 

The  Prophet  Nephi  saw  a  continual  line  of  events  from 
the  birth  of  Christ,  including  the  present  great  war  that 
is  being  poured  out  upon  the  nations,  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  (I  Nephi.  11-14  Chapters,  Inc.)  After  the  Angel 
had  shown  Nephi  this  present  great  war,  which  was  to  be 
a  forerunner  in  paving  the  way  for  the  final  gathering  of 
Israel,  he  immediately  called  his  attention  to  the  Apostle 
John,  who,  in  the  vision,  was  dressed  in  a  white  robe. 

The  fact  that  Nephi's  attention  was  called  to  the  mission 
of  John  in  connection  with  this  war  is  reason  for  one  to 

€ 

conclude  that  his  coming  is  near.     Quotation  in  part: 

"And  as  there  began  to  be  wars  and  rumors  of  wars  among 
all  the  nations  which  belonged  to  the  mother  of  abominations, 
the  Angel  spake  unto  me,  saying,  'Behold,  the  wrath  of  God 
is  upon  the  mother  of  harlots;  and  behold,  thou  seeth  all 
these  things  .  And  when  the  day  cometh  that  the  wrath 
of  God  is  poured  out  upon  the  mother  of  harlots,  which  is 
the  great  and  abominable  church  of  all  the  earth,  whose 
foundation  is  the  devil,  then,  at  that  day,  the  work  of  the 
Father  shall  commence,  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  ful- 
filling of  His  covenants,  which  he  hath  made  to  His  people, 
who  are  of  the  House  of  Israel.' 

"And  it  came  to  pass  that  the  Angel  spake  unto  me,  saying, 
Look!  And  I  looked  and  beheld  a  man,  and  he  was  dressed 
in  a  white  robe.  And  the  Angel  said  unto  me,  Behold  one 

133 


of  the  Twelve  Apostles  of  the  Lamb!  And  I,  Nephi,  heard 
and  bear  record,  that  the  name  of  the  Apostle  of  the  Lamb 
was  John,  according  to  the  word  of  the  Angel."  I  Nephi  14: 
16-20,  27. 

At  this  part  of  the  vision,  pertaining  to  John,  the  Angel 
also  informed  Nephi  that  John  himself  would  write  the  re- 
mainder of  the  vision.  (Verses  21-26.)  While  Nephi,  there- 
fore, discontinued  that  part  pertaining  to  John,  he  has,  never- 
theless, given  us  a  connecting  link  with  the  vision  of  Ezekiel, 
wherein  additional  information  is  given  of  John's  future 
mission.  Ezekiel's  vision  contains  many  points  of  interest. 

(1)  Ezekiel  saw  a  man  clothed  in  linen,  which  is  the 
symbol  of  the  white  robe  described  by  Nephi. 

(2)  A  marvelous  and  strange  mission  to  be  fulfilled  by 
this  man  who  was  dressed  in  linen,  who,  according  to  Ezekiel, 
had  a  writer's  inkhorn  by  his  side,  thus  indicating  that  he 
was  to  be  a  great  writer.     This  is  suggesting  a  perfect  de- 
scription of  John,  he  being  the  author  of  the  Gospel  of  John, 
the  1st,  2nd  and  3rd  Epistles  of  John  and  the  Book  of  Reve- 
lations, which  is  the  greatest  book  ever  published  on  prophe- 
cy.  His  masterpiece,  which  contains  even  greater  revelations, 
called  "The   Sealed  Records,"  is  yet  to  come  forth  at  the 
time  of  Zion's  redemption.     (D.  C.  93:  6,  18,  Ether  4:  13-16. 
See  division  on  "Greater  Things.") 

(3)  This  man  dressed  in  linen  was  to  set  a  mark  upon 
the  foreheads  of  those  who  would  be  contending  for  truth 
throughout  Jerusalem,  which  Jerusalem,  in  prophecy,  desig- 
nates and  means  a  land  of  peace,  the  dwelling  place  of  God's 
people. 

(4)  Six  men  were  to  rise  in  power  and    destroy    the 
wicked,  beginning  at  the  sanctuary,  or  Temple  of  the  Lord. 
This  is  evidently  a  part  of  the  Lord's  scourge  that  is  yet  to 
come,  and,  we  are  told  that  it  is  to  begin  at  the  House  of  the 
Lord.      (D.  C.  112:24-26,  D.  C.  97:21-26,  Jer.  23:18-20.) 

Note  that  while  six  men  are  mentioned  by  Ezekiel,  only 
five,  including  John  the  Revelator,  are  mentioned  in  D.  C. 
77:8-11,  but  EzekiePs  vision  may  have  included  the  work 

134 


of  the  Branch  of  Jesse  (Zech.  3:8-10;  6:12-15;  Isa.  11:1), 
or  the  Mighty  and  Strong  servant;  for  the  description  of 
the  mission  of  these  two  prophets  shows  that  they  also  will 
have  the  power  to  slay  the  wicked.  (Isa.  28:  1-22.  D.  C. 
85:  6-12.)  We  quote  in  part  the  vision  of  Ezekiel: 

"He  cried  also  in  mine  ears,  with  a  loud  voice,  saying, 
Cause  them  that  have  charge  over  the  city  to  draw  near, 
even  every  man  with  his  destroying  weapon  in  his  hand. 
And  behold,  six  men  came  from  the  way  of  the  higher  gate, 
which  lieth  toward  the  north,  and  every  man  a  slaughter 
weapon  in  his  hand;  and  one  man  among  them  was  clothed 
with  linen,  with  a  writer's  inkhorn  by  his  side. 

"And  he  called  to  the  man  clothed  with  linen,  which  had 
the  writer's  inkhorn  by  his  side;  and  the  Lord  said  unto  him, 
Go  through  the  midst  of  the  city,  through  the  midst  of 
Jerusalem,  and  set  a  mark  upon  the  foreheads  of  the  men 
that  sigh  and  that  cry  for  all  the  abominations  that  be  done 
in  the  midst  thereof.  And  to  the  others  he  said  in  mine  hear- 
ing, Go  ye  after  him  through  the  city,  and  smite;  let  not 
your  eye  spare,  neither  have  ye  pity.  Slay  utterly  old  and 
young  .  .  .  but  come  not  near  any  man  upon  whom  is 
the  mark;  and  begin  at  my  sanctuary."  Ezek.  9  :l-6. 

We  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  this  mission  of  setting 
a  mark  in  the  foreheads  of  the  righteous,  thus  exempting 
them  from  plagues  is  identical  with  the  work  that  John  is 
to  perform  in  his  future  mission,  as  previously  set  forth. 
(D.  C.  77:8-11,  14;  Rev.  7:1-17;  9:1-11.)  Also  note  that 
»the  leader  of  the  Destroying  Angels  is  called  "Apollyon"  in 
the  Book  of  Revelations.  Apollyon  means  a  destroying 
angel. 

From  the  preceeding  chapter  of  Ezekiel,  we  learn  that 
the  judgment  here  mentioned  will  be  sent  for  the  purpose 
of  cleansing  the  children  of  Israel.  (8:1-18,  9:9.)  This 
is  in  line  with  many  prophecies  clearly  indicating  the  com- 
ing of  various  wars  and  plagues  against  the  wicked  until 
they  are  all  destroyed,  but  sparing  the  righteous  "that  are 
left  in  Zion,  and  remain  in  Jerusalem."  (II  Nephi  14:1-6; 

135 


Isa.  4th  Chap.;  D.  C.  124:  10.) 

Returning  to  Ezekiel's  vision,  he  further  saw  a  cloud  of 
glory  hovering  over  a  future  temple.  As  Doctrine  and 
Covenants  clearly  tells  us  the  temple  to  be  built  in  Missouri 
will  rest  under  such  a  cloud,  we  may  safely  conclude  this 
is  the  temple  referred  to  in  this  vision.  (D.  C.  84:1-5; 
Ezek.  10:1-5,  19.) 

We  are  well  aware  that  some  of  the  prophecies  of  Ezekiel 
refer  to  events  of  former  days;  but  the  language  of  his 
writings,  as  recorded,  beginning  at  the  seventh  chapter, 
clearly  shows  a  break  in  the  line  of  events;  for  he  there 
begins  to  speak  of  the  latter  day  judgment.  We  quote  in 
part: 

"Moreover  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me,  saying, 
Also,  thou  son  of  man,  thus  saith  the  Lord  God  unto  the 
land  of  Israel;  An  end,  the  end  is  come  upon  the  four  cor- 
ners of  the  land.  Now  is  the  end  come  upon  thee,  and  I  will 
send  mine  anger  upon  thee  .  .  .  and  mine  eye  shall  not 
spare  thee.  .  .  .  An  evil,  an  only  evil,  behold,  is  come. 
An  end  is  come,  the  end  is  come,  it  watcheth  for  thee;  behold, 
it  is  come.  .  .  .  Violence  is  risen  up  into  a  rod  of 
wickedness;  none  of  them  shall  remain,  nor  of  their  multi- 
tude. .  .  . 

"They  have  blown  the  trumpet,  even  to  make  all  ready; 
but  none  goeth  to  the  battle;  for  my  wrath  is  upon  all  the 
multitude  thereof.  The  sword  is  without,  and  the  pestilence 
and  the  famine  within.  .  .  .  But  they  that  escape  of 
them  shall  escape,  and  shall  be  on  the  mountains  like  doves 
of  the  valley,  all  of  them  mourning,  every  one  for  his  in- 
iquity .  .  .  and  their  gold  shall  not  be  able  to  deliver 
them  in  the  day  of  the  wrath  of  the  Lord."  7:  1-19. 

Ezekiel  continues  throughout  the  eighth  chapter,  giving 
an  outline  of  the  wickedness  of  Israel's  future  days,  and 
in  the  ninth  of  the  judgments  that  as  yet  have  not  been 
fulfilled,  but  which  will,  evidently,  under  John's  leadership, 
be  outpoured  as  previously  set  forth. 

This  vision  of  Ezekiel  combined  with  the  seeing  of  John 

136 


by  Nephi,  in  that  part  of  his  vision  pertaining  to  the  final 
gathering  of  Israel,  which  was  to  be  near  the  time  of  this 
great  war  (I  Nephi  14:14-20,  27),  and  the  Lord  informing 
Ezekiel  that  He  would  not  slay  all  of  Israel,  but  would 
gather  them  and  restore  their  land  of  inheritance  (11:10- 
20),  appears  to  be  ample  evidence  to  prove  that  the  two 
visions  refer  to  the  same  period  of  time,  and  that  the  com- 
ing of  John  and  the  Destroying  Angels  will  be  the  fulfillment 
of  the  two  visions  and  the  beginning  of  greater  things.  (II 
Nephi.  14:1-6;  Isa.  4:1-6.) 

After  referring  to  many  prophecies  relating  to  the  future 
mission  of  various  prophets  of  the  Lord,  we  now  call  at- 
tention to  their  particular  labors. 

CHAPTER  VII. 
GREATER    THINGS 

History  proclaims  that  man  has  forever  been  striving  for 
greater  knowledge,  wealth  and  power,  and  refers  to  many 
who  have  obtained  these  things  in  their  earthly  form;  and 
that  few  have  contemplated  the  greater  mysteries,  wisdom, 
joy  and  blessings  that  God  has  in  store  for  those  who  seek 
after  Him  and  His  ways. 

Whilet  many  claim  that  they  believe  in  Jesus  the  Christ, 
and  the  Father,  it  appears  that  few  of  them  ever  seek  long 
enough  to  comprehend  their  plans,  powers  and  promised 
blessings.  If  they  did,  they  would  see  the  folly  of  their  sin- 
ful acts,  and  would  prepare  themselves  for  the  coming  King- 
dom. 

The  Scriptures  tell  us  that  the  wisdom  of  man  is  foolish- 
ness with  God,  and  that  man  has  not  seen  nor  heard,  nor  has 
it  entered  into  his  heart  the  things  that  God  has  prepared 
for  them  who  love  Him.  Therefore,  let  us  consider  a  few  of 
these  great  future  events. 

Necessity  has  forced  the  writer  to  refer  to  many  unpleas- 
ant things,  but,  thanks  be  to  Heaven,  there  is  a  future  and 
brighter  day  coming. 

To  begin  with,  this  life  itself,  mingled  with  pain,  sorrow, 

137 


sin  and  death,  with  a  fight  for  righteousness,  is  for  the  pur- 
pose of  trying  us,  in  order  that  the  Great  Judge  may  be  able 
to  award  us,  in  a  future  day,  with  blessings  that  are  fitting 
to  our  worthiness.  This  great  earthly  plan  of  our  Heavenly 
Father  in  drawing  His  children  thru  the  bitter  things  first 
will  also  prove  to  be  a  blessing  in  assisting  them  to  better 
enjoy  the  sweet  things  of  the  hereafter. 

We,  the  Latter  Day  Saints,  feel  proud  of  ourselves  as 
being  in  possession  of  the  many  blessings,  covenants,  revela- 
tions and  prophecies  as  found  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  and 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  but  not  all  of  us  realize  that,  if  we 
fail  to  accept  the  whole  of  them,  we  will  bring  condemnation 
upon  ourselves. 

The  Book  of  Mormon,  as  we  have  it  today,  contains  the 
lesser  things  that  Jesus  taught  to  the  Remnants  of  Jacob 
while  on  the  American  Continent  in  A.  D.  34.  These  lesser 
or  unsealed,  records  have  been  given  unto  us  first  in  order 
to  try  our  faith;  if  we  accept  them,  then  we  have  the  prom- 
ise of  the  restoration  of  the  greater  or  sealed  records. 

The  Prophet  Nephi  states: 

"Behold,  the  plates  of  Nephi  do  contain  the  more  part  of 
the  things  which  He  taught  the  people;  And  these  things 
have  I  written,  which  are  a  lesser  part  of  the  things  which 
He  taught  the  people;  and  I  have  written  them  to  the  intent 
that  they  may  be  brought  again  unto  this  people,  from  the 
Gentiles,  according  to  the  words  which  Jesus  had  spoken. 

"And  when  they  shall  have  received  this,  which  it  is  ex- 
pedient that  they  should  have  first,  to  try  their  faith,  and  if 
it  shall  so  be  that  they  shall  believe  these  things,  then  shall 
the  greater  things  be  made  manifest  unto  them.  And  if 
it  so  be  that  they  will  not  believe  these  things,  then  shall 
the  greater  things  be  withheld  from  them,  unto  their  con- 
demnation. Behold,  I  was  about  to  write  them  all  of  which 
were  engraven  upon  the  plates  of  Nephi,  but  the  Lord  for- 
bid it,  saying,  I  will  try  the  faith  of  my  people."  Ill  Nephi 
26:7-11. 

138     ' 


The  Prophet  Ether  also  refers  to  another  book  that  is  yet 
to  come  forth: 

"Behold,  I  have  written  upon  these  plates  the  very  things 
which  the  brother  of  Jared  saw,  and  there  never  was  greater 
things  made  manifest  than  that  which  was  made  manifest 
unto  the  brother  of  Jared. 

"Wherefore,  the  Lord  has  commanded  me  to  write  them, 
and  I  have  written  them.  And  He  commanded  me  that  I 
should  seal  them  up;  and  He  also  hath  commanded  me  that 
I  should  seal  up  the  interpretation  thereof;  wherefore,  I 
have  sealed  up  the  interpreters,  according  to  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord.  For  the  Lord  said  unto  me,  They  shall 
not  go  forth  unto  the  Gentiles  until  the  day  that  they  shall 
repent  of  their  iniquity  and  become  clean  before  the  Lord. 

"And  in  that  day  that  they  shall  exercise  faith  in  me, 
saith  the  Lord,  even  as  the  brother  of  Jared  did,  that  they 
may  become  sanctified  in  me,  then  will  I  manifest  unto  them 
the  things  which  the  brother  of  Jared  saw,  even  to  the  un- 
folding unto  them  all  my  revelation,  saith  Jesus  Christ. 
And  he  that  will  contend  against  the  Word  of  the 
Lord,  let  him  be  accursed;  and  he  that  shall  deny  these 
things,  let  him  be  accursed;  for  unto  them  will  1  shew  no 
greater  things,  saith  Jesus  Christ,  for  I  am  He  who  speaketh." 
Ether  4:4-8.  (II  Nephi  27:  7-26.) 

The  gathering  and  sanctifying  of  the  Saints  by  John  the 
Revelator  and  the  four  Angels  has  been  outlined  in  Chapter 
VI.  The  withholding  of  these  sealed  records  until  they 
come  and  accomplish  their  work  among  the  Saints  is  indeed 
enough  within  itself  to  cause  the  eyes  of  the  Saints  to  turn 
and  their  hearts  to  contemplate  upon  the  return  of  John. 

It  was  foreseen  wisdom  of  the  Lord  in  warning  the  Latter 
Day  Saints,  in  these  last  days,  about  their  lack  of  faith  to- 
ward the  Book  of  Mormon  and  Doctrine  of  Covenants: 

"And  your  minds  in  times  past  have  been  darkened  be- 
cause of  unbelief,  and  because  you  have  treated  lightly  the 
things  you  have  received,  which  vanity  and  unbelief  have 
brought  the  whole  Church  under  condemnation.  And  this 

139 


condemnation  resteth  upon  the  children  of  Zion,  even  all. 

"And  they  shall  remain  under  this  condemnation  until 
they  repent  and  remember  the  new  covenant,  even  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  and  the  former  commandments  which  I  have 
given  them,  not  only  to  say,  but  to  do,  according  to  that 
which  I  have  written.  That  they  may  bring  forth  fruit  meet 
for  their  Father's  Kingdom;  otherwise  there  remaineth  a 
scourge  and  a  judgment  to  be  poured  out  upon  the  children 
of  Zion."  D.  C.  84:54-58.  (D.  C.  97:22-26.  D.  C.  112: 
24-26.  D.  C.  124:  6-10.) 

With  these  facts  before  us,  the  question  arises,  have  the 
Latter  Day  Saints  freed  themselves  from  this  judgment? 
They  have  not!  Why?  For  the  reason  that  many  of  their 
leaders,  as  previously  set  forth,  have  bitterly  refused  to  ac- 
cept the  prophecies  that  point  out  the  great  mission  and  work 
that  future  prophets  are  to  fulfil.  Many  of  the  Saints  are 
contenting  themselves  by  believing  that  the  members  of  our 
present  Priesthood  hold  the  fullness  of  power  and  mission 
to  finish  up  God's  works. 

It  is  these  blasphemous  statements  and  fictitious  ideas  of 
contending  against  these  greater  things  that  are  holding 
back  the  spiritual  progress  of  the  Church.  The  writer  looks 
for  no  change  or  relief  until  these  great  prophets  and  lead- 
ers come  to  cut  off  the  unrighteous  and  gather  the  worthy 
Saints  who  are  looking  and  longing  for  the  fullness  of  God's 
Kingdom. 

Joseph  Smith  frankly  proclaimed  that  he  was  not  per- 
mitted to  translate  that  portion  of  the  plates  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon  that  was  sealed,  and  it  is  that  portion  which  con- 
tains the  sealed  writings  of  Nephi  and  Ether  that  is  yet  to 
come  forth.  There  are  also  the  sealed  portions  of  John's 
records  to  come  forth,  which  cover  the  works  of  God  that 
he  saw  while  caught  away  in  the  spirit  while  on  the  Isle  of 
Patmos  (Rev.  1:9)  which  he  was  then  prohibited  to  write. 
(Rev.  10:  1-11.)  The  Lord  has  said: 

"And  John  saw  and  bore  record  of  the  fullness  of  my 
glory,  and  the  fullness  of  John's  record  is  hereafter  to  be 

140 


revealed.      And  it  shall  come  to  pass   that  if  you   are  faith- 
ful   you   shall   receive    the    fullness   of    the   record   of   John/' 

D.  C.  93:6,  18. 

We  have  also  quotations  from  Ether  pertaining  to  John's 
sealed  records,  as  follows: 

"Come  unto  me,  Oh  ye  Gentiles,  and  I  will  show  unto  you 
the  greater  things,  the  knowledge  which  is  hid  up  because  of 
unbelief.  Come  unto  me,  Oh  ye  House  of  Israel,  and  it 
shall  be  made  manifest  unto  you  how  great  things  the  Father 
hath  laid  up  for  you,  from  the  foundation  of  the  world; 
and  it  has  not  come  unto  you  because  of  unbelief. 

"Behold,  when  ye  shall  rend  that  vail  of  unbelief  which 
doth  cause  you  to  remain  in  your  awful  state  of  wicked- 
ness and  hardness  of  heart,  and  blindness  of  mind,  then 
shall  the  great  and  marvelous  things  which  have  been  hid 
up  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  from  you:  yea,  when 
ye  shall  call  upon  the  Father  in  my  name,  with  a  broken 
heart  and  a  contrite  spirit,  then  shall  ye  know  that  the  Father 
hath  remembered  the  covenant  which  he  made  unto  your 
fathers,  Oh  House  of  Israel. 

"And  ftien  shall  my  revelations,  which  I  have  caused  to 
be  written  by  my  servant  John  be  unfolded  in  the  eyes  of 
all  the  people.  Remember,  when  ye  see  these  things,  ye 
shall  know  that  the  time  is  at  hand  that  they  shall  be  made 
manifest  in  very  deed."  Ether  4:13-16. 

The  Prophet  Nephi  has  also  referred  to  these  sealed  rec- 
ords as  follows: 

"The  things  which  are  sealed  shall  not  be  delivered  in 
the  day  of  the  wickedness  and  abominations  of  the  people. 
Wherefore  the  book  shall  be  kept  from  them.  .  .  .  For 
the  book  shall  be  sealed  by  the  power  of  God,  and  the 
revelation  which  was  sealed  shall  be  kept  in  the  book  until 
the  own  due  time  of  the  Lord,  that  they  may  come  forth: 
for  behold,  they  reveal  all  things  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world  unto  the  end  thereof. 

"And  the  day  cometh  that  the  words  of  the  book  which 
were  sealed  shall  be  read  upon  the  house  tops;  and  they 

141 


shall  be  read  by  the  power  of  Christ.  And  all  things  shall 
be  revealed  unto  the  children  of  men  which  ever  have  been 
among  the  children  of  men,  and  which  ever  will  be,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  earth."  II  Nephi  27:8,  10-11.  (Also 
Insp.  Translation  Isa.  29:  13-16.) 

The  reader  will  now  be  able  to  more  fully  connect  up 
the  mission  of  the  Marred  Servant  as  outlined  in  Chaptei 
V,  wherein  he  is  to  bring  forth  a  record,  which  will  be  the 
words  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  those  who  refuse  to  accept  hin 
mission  and  records  will  be  cut  off  from  God's  people.  (Ill 
Nephi  21:7-15.) 

The  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy,  in  the  writer's  mind,  will 
be  no  more  or  less  than  the  coming  of  John  with  the  re- 
mainder of  his  revelations,  and,  no  doubt,  the  Angel  Moroni, 
who  holds  the  keys  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  (D.  C.  27:5) 
will  again  bring  the  plates  back  for  their  complete  transla- 
tion. 

With  this  outline  of  these  greater  records  that  are  yet 
to  come  forth,  let  us  now  consider  the  fullness  of  the  Priest- 
hood powers  that  are  also  to  be  restored. 

FULLNESS  OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD 

The  greater  portion  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  have  heard 
many  of  our  present  leaders  declare  the  equivalent  that  all 
authority  and  power  of  the  Priesthood  have  been  restored, 
and  that  nothing  will  come  forth  unto  the  Saints  except 
through  them,  and  that  the  Saints  need  not  trouble  them- 
selves over  these  deep  prophecies,  but  to  hold  on  to  the  first 
principles  of  the  Gospel,  and  that  they  should  shape  their 
thoughts  on  the  present  events  and  questions  of  the  day, 
and  not  on  the  unknown  future,  and  that  those  who  are  per- 
sistent in  bringing  forth  these  new  doctrines  that  are  not 
advanced  or  sanctioned  by  the  Church  leaders,  are  on  the 
road  to  apostasy. 

While  the  above  statements  are  fearlessly  uttered,  they 
have,  however,  no  foundation.  Those  of  our  leaders  who 
utter  these  statements  overlook  the  fact  that  the  entire  words 

142 


of  the  Lord  are  true,  and  that  all  of  these  prophecies  have 
come  through  the  head  of  the  Church  unto  the  Saints, 
through  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith;  and,  inasmuch  as  the 
end  of  time  is  neigh  at  hand,  it  behooves  us  all  to  read 
them  now  if  we  ever  expect  to  learn  them. 

Furthermore,  if  we  hold  the  fullness  of  the  Priesthood 
and  are  to  finish  up  the  Lord's  mighty  and  final  works,  then 
why  has  the  Lord  foretold  that  He  is  to  send  forth  the  Mighty 
and  Strong  Servant  to  set  the  House  of  God  in  order  and 
divide  by  lot  the  inheritances  of  the  Saints  in  Zion ;  that  John, 
with  the  Four  Angels,  are  to  gather  and  seal  up  the  Saints; 
Elijah  to  build  up  the  Kingdom  and  Temple  and  restore  the 
law  of  Sacrifice;  with  David  to  rule  over  the  Kingdom  as 
King,  the  Three  Nephite  Apostles  to  do  a  great  and  mar- 
velous work  among  the  Gentiles  before  the  coming  of  Christ 
(III  Nephi  28:29-32) ;  the  two  prophets  to  be  raised  up  into 
the  Jews  that  are  referred  to  as  the  two  Olive  Trees  (Zech. 
4  Chap.  Rev.  11:  1-13;  D.  C.  77:  15) ;  the  man  like  Moses  to 
redeem  Zion;  the  Root  of  Jesse  to  gather  Israel  and  Gen- 
tiles; with  the  prophecies  concerning  the  coming  forth  of 
the  Bra°nch,  the  Rod  and  the  Marred  Servant,  all  of  which 
are  to  come  forth  at  the  time  of  Israel's  redemption? 

Now,  if  these  prophecies  are  true,  then  it  would  appear 
that  men  would  think  twice  before  they  would  undertake  to 
covet  the  mission  and  authority  which  have  been  given  unto 
others.  (For  various  characters  see  Index.) 

The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  laid  the  foundation  (D.  C. 
136:37-38)  for  other  great  prophets  to  build  upon.  As 
late  as  1844  (being  eight  years  after  the  coming  of  Elijah 
to  the  Kirtland  Temple  to  restore  Temple  work,  and  fifteen 
years  after  the  appearing  of  John  the  Revelator,  with  Peter 
and  James,  unto  Joseph  Smith),  we  find  him  declaring  in  the 
following  quotation,  that  Elijah  and  John  (the  Latter  Day 
Elias)  are  to  return  and  build  up  the  Kingdom. 

"The  spirit  of  Elias  is  first,  Elijah  second,  and  Messiah 
last.  Elias  is  a  forerunner  to  prepare  the  way,  and  the 
spirit  and  power  of  Elijah  is  to  come  after,  holding  the 

143 


Keys  of  Power,  building  the  Temple  to  the  cap  stone,  plac- 
ing the  seals  of  the  Melchisedek  Priesthood  upon  the  house 
of  Israel,  and  making  all  things  ready;  then  Messiah  comes 
to  His  Temple,  .  .  .  Elijah  was  to  come  and  prepare 
the  way  and  build  up  the  Kingdom  before  the  coming  of  the 
great  day  of  the  Lord,  although  the  spirit  of  Elias  might 
begin  it."  Given  March  10,  1844,  Comp.  p.  283;  (C.  H. 
Vol.  6,  p.  249.) 

Inasmuch  as  the  mission  of  John  the  Revelator  as  the 
Elias  of  the  last  day  is  yet  in  the  future,  hence  the  final 
mission  of  Elijah  is  also  yet  to  be  fulfilled. 

We  also  find  the  second  mission  of  Elijah  confirmed  by 
Joseph  Smith,  in  his  statement  of  1840.  He  points  out 
that  his  future  mission  will  be  to  restore  the  fullness  of  the 
Priesthood,  as  well  as  restore  the  law  of  sacrifice.  As 
follows : 

"The  offering  of  sacrifice  has  ever  been  connected  and 
forms  a  part  of  the  duties  of  the  Priesthood.  It  began  with 
the  Priesthood,  and  will  be  continued  until  after  the  com- 
ing of  Christ,  .  .  ."Elijah  was  the  last  prophet  that  held 
the  keys  of  the  Priesthood,  and  WHO  WILL,  before  the  last 
dispensation,  restore  the  authority  and  deliver  the  keys  of 
the  Priesthood,  in  order  that  all  the  ordinances  may  be  at- 
tended to  in  righteousness. 

"These  sacrifices,  as  well  as  every  ordinance  belonging  to 
the  Priesthood,  WILL  when  the  Temple  of  the  Lord  shall  be 
built,  and  the  sons  of  Levi  be  purified,  be  fully  restored  and 
attended  to  in  all  their  powers,  ramifications  and  blessings. 
This  ever  did  and  ever  will  exist  when  the  powers  of  the 
Melchisedek  Priesthood  are  sufficiently  manifest; 

"It  is  not  to  be  understood  that  the  Law  of  Moses  will  be 
established  again  with  all  its  rites  and  variety  of  cere- 
monies, .  .  .  'but  those  things  which  existed  prior  to 
Moses'  day,  namely:  Sacrifice,  will  be  continued."  J.  S.  T., 
page  119-121.  (C.  H.,  Vol.  4,  p.  207.  Given  Oct.  5,  1840.) 

The  Kirtland  Temple  was  completed  in  1836,  and  visited 
in  the  same  year  by  many  heavenly  characters,  including 

144 


Elijah,  in  restoring  blessings  and  ordinances  of  the  Gospel. 
There  has  been  nothing  restored  since  then;  hence,  Joseph 
had  reference  to  the  great  future  temple  of  Zion. 

In  connection  with  the  above  ordinances  that  are  to  be 
restored  when  the  great  temple  at  Independence,  Missouri, 
is  built  (D.  C.  84:1-5),  there  is  to  be  the  law  of  consecra- 
tion restored  (D.  C.  105:1-6),  the  central  stake  of  Zion 
redeemed,  and  the  building  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  which 
will  take  place  within  the  same  generation  of  1832,  (D.  C. 
84:2-5;  45:62-71);  the  Gospel  carried  to  the  Jews;  the 
final  gathering  of  all  Israel,  and  the  setting  up  of  the  King- 
dom of  God  in  its  fullness,  with  David  as  King;  all  to  take 
place  before  the  coming  of  the  Lord. 

It  appears  to  the  writer  that  sufficient  has  been  given 
to  show  that  many  great  things  are  near  our  door,  as  well 
as  to  prove  to  the  reader  that  we  do  not  hold  the  fullness 
of  the  Priesthood,  mission  or  authority  to  complete  the 
works  of  God  and  establish  the  Kingdom  in  its  fullness. 
This  latter  thought  to  be  outlined  in  the  following  division. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  FUTURE  KINGDOM  OF  GOD 

and 
DAVID  ITS  KING 

Prophets  and  seers  of  all  ages  have  referred  to  a  future 
itingdom  that  would  be  set  up  prior  to  the  coming  of  Christ 
and  which  would  provide  a  refuge  for  the  righteous  of  the 
earth,  whom  the  prophets  will  gather  together  during  the 
closing  days  of  tribulation. 

They  also  inform  us  that  this  Kingdom  will  be  the  only 
one  left  standing  at  the  coming  of  Christ,  whose  coming  will 
bring  destruction  upon  the  remaining  wicked,  including 
the  hypocrites  and  unbelievers.  (D.  C.  85:6-12;  101:90; 
84:96-98.) 

The  efforts  of  man  to  form  a  perfect  government,  where- 
in peace,  righteousness  and  liberty  might  be  enjoyed,  have 

145 


proved  a  failure.  The  closing  scenes  are  heart-rending, 
and  the  signs  of  the  times  only  point  to  another  woe. 

Therefore,  it  behooves  a  man,  who  loves  these  things, 
to  cast  his  eyes  over  the  pages  of  God's  law,  with  the  hope 
of  finding  rest.  From  these  sacred  pages  we  learn  that  the 
Lord  has  set  the  bounds  of  nations,  and  that  they  have 
reached  their  summit,  and  are  approaching  their  end  at  an 
appalling  rate. 

A  portion  of  their  history,  past  and  future,  has  been 
told,  and  given  to  man  thru  a  God-sent  dream  to  King  Nebu- 
chadnezzar and  the  interpretation  by  Daniel,  wherein  was 
given  the  future  destiny  of  the  Chaldeans,  the  Medes  and 
Persians,  the  Grecians  and  the  Roman  Kingdom,  as  well 
as  the  ten  subdivisions  into  which  the  Roman  Empire  was 
broken  and  which  were  represented  in  the  dream  by  the  ten 
toes  of  the  image,  and  constitute  the  kingdoms  of  Europe 
and  Asia  today.  After  prophetically  portraying  all  this, 
Daniel  continues: 

"And  in  the  days  of  these  kings"  (the  Ten)  "shall  the  God 
of  Heaven  set  up  a  kingdom,  which  shall  never  be  destroyed; 
and  the  kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  other  people,  but  it 
shall  break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and 
it  shall  stand  forever."  Dan.  2 :  44. 

Here  is  a  definite  prophecy  that  the  Kingdom  of  God  shall 
supersede  the  kingdoms  of  the  world;  and  this  kingdom  will 
be  a  literal  kingdom  according  to  the  Scriptures. 

The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  once  referred  to  the  writings 
of  a  certain  Dr.  Smith,  on  this  subject  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God,  as  spoken  of  by  Daniel.  Quoted  in  part: 

"The  claim  that  the  'little  Stone  cut  from  the  mountain 
without  hands/  is  the  'Spiritual  Kingdom  of  Christ' — if  by 
that  'Spiritual  Kingdom*  is  meant  not  a  real  kingdom,  actual- 
ly existing,  visible  and  tangible — is  an  assumption  of  the 
Doctor's.  It  is  not  the  longuage  of  the  Bible,  nor  is  there 
any  evidence  in  Scripture  for  believing  that  'the  kingdom' 
represented  by  'the  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without 
hands'  is  any  less  a  material  kingdom  than  those  which  pre- 
146 


ceded  it."  .  .  .  "The  terms  of  Daniel's  prophecy  re- 
quire that  the  kingdom  which  God  shall  establish,  and  which 
was  represented  by  the  stone  cut  from  the  mountain  with- 
out hands,  shall  he  set  up  in  the  days  of  the  fifth  political 
world  power — in  the  days  of  the  kingdoms  represented  by 
the  pieces  of  iron  and  clay  in  the  feet  and  toes  of  the  image. 
And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  (not  in  the  days  of 
the  Roman  Empire)  shall  the  God  of  Heaven  set  up  a  king- 
dom, which  shall  never  be  destroyed."  C.  H.  Vol.  1,  p.  38-40. 
Intro. 

This  kingdom  will  have  a  king  and  many  mighty  officers 
and  prophets  to  build  it  up,  until  it  fills  the  whole  earth. 
(Dan.  2:35,  44,  45.)  John  the  Revelator  will  be  laboring 
amongst  us  during  the  formation  of  this  kingdom  and  will 
be  gathering  in  the  honest  in  heart  from  all  nations,  and 
they  in  turn  will  give  their  support  to  Elijah  in  building  up 
the  New  and  Old  Jerusalem,  as  well  as  the  Great  Temple 
in  Zion;  and  doubtless  also  the  future  one  of  Palestine. 

The  mighty  Priesthood  power  of  John  and  Elijah  and  the 
blessings 'that  they  will  bring  unto  the  honest  in  heart,  will 
be  the  means  of  preparing  them  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord. 
(C.  H.  Vol.  5,  p.  336.)  However,  with  all  this  preparation, 
they  will  still  require  a  government.  This  the  Lord  has 
foreseen  and  provided  for.  That  government  will  be  the 
kingdom  which  Daniel  foretold  would  be  set  up  in  the  Lat- 
ter Days.  It  will  be  set  up  thru  the  Lord's  mighty  prophets. 

The  judgments  and  plagues  which  the  Lord  and  His 
prophets  will  send  upon  the  wicked  nations  for  rejecting 
His  message  of  this  kingdom,  combined  with  the  creative 
principles  of  the  Kingdom  of  Christ,  which  Daniel  terms  as 
a  stone,  will  cause  these  nations  to  crumble  and  fall  away 
— for  the  prophecy  emphatically  declares  "it"  (the  King- 
dom of  God)  "shall  break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these 
kingdoms,  and  it  shall  stand  forever.  For  as  much  as  thou 
sawest  that  the  stone  was  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without 
hands,  and  that  it  brake  in  pieces,  the  iron,  the  brass,  the 
clay,  the  silver  and  the  gold ;  the  great  God  hath  made  known 

147 


to  the  king  what  shall  come  to  pass  hereafter ;  and  the  dream 
is  certain,  and  the  interpretation  thereof  sure."  Dan.  2 :  44- 
45;  (D.  C.  84:92-98,  114-120;  101:10-14;  5:18-20;  63: 
32-37;  IINephi  27:1-3.) 

It  is  thought  by  some  that  the  meaning  of  "the  stone  that 
smote  the  image"  refers  to  Christ,  but,  by  reading  the  44th 
verse,  we  learn  that  it  is  the  kingdom  that  is  referred  to. 
Quotation  follows: 

"And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall  the  God  of  Heaven 
set  up  a  kingdom,  which  shall  never  be  destroyed;  and  the 
kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  other  people,  but  it  shall  break 
in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and  it  shall  stand 
forever."  Dan.  2:44.  (D.  C.  124:23,  60.) 

The  prophecy  of  the  stone  being  "cut  out  of  the  mountain 
without  hands,"  will  evidently  be  fulfilled  when  the  mighty 
prophets  call  the  Saints  from  their  mountain  regions,  and 
establish  them  in  Zion,  which  is  in  Missouri,  where  in  the 
days  of  old  was  situated  the  Garden  of  Eden.  (D.  C.  84: 
1-5.)  When  this  event  takes  place  the  kingdom  proper  will 
be  established,  and  prophecy  proves  it  will  come  to  pass 
with  the  coming  of  the  Lord's  mighty  prophets.  (C.  H. 
Vol.  6,  p.  249.)  We  are  also  told  that: 

"The  Keys  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  are  committed  unto 
man  on  the  earth,  and  from  thence  shall  the  Gospel  roll 
forth  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth,  as  the  stone  which  is  cut 
out  of  the  mountain  without  hands,  shall  roll  forth,  until  it 
has  filled  the  whole  earth."  D.  C.  65:  2. 

Hence,  the  living  members  of  the  Church,  who  have  ac- 
cepted that  Gospel,  will  be  representatives  of  the  stone, 
and  citizens  of  the  kingdom  when  it  is  set  up  in  its  fullness. 

"And  it  shall  be  called  the  New  Jerusalem,  a  land  of 
peace,  a  city  of  refuge,  a  place  of  safety  for  the  Saints  of 
the  most  High  God.  And  the  Glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be 
there,  and  the  terror  of  the  Lord  also  shall  be  there,  inso- 
much that  the  wicked  will  not  come  unto  it,  and  it  shall  be 
called  Zion.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  among  the  wicked 
that  every  man  that  will  not  take  his  sword  against  his 

148 


neighbor  must  needs  flee  unto  Zion  for  safety.  And  there 
shall  be  gathered  unto  it  out  of  every  nation  under  Heaven; 
and  it  shall  be  the  only  people  that  shall  not  be  at  war  one 
with  another."  D.  C.  45:  66-69. 

This  idea  of  a  peaceful  habitation  of  a  people  who  are 
to  gather  in  Zion,  from  all  nations,  to  build  up  the  capital 
city  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  together  with  the  surrounding 
stakes  on  the  Western  Continent,  is  confirmed  in  many 
Scriptures;  but  we  are  also  told  that  this  Kingdom  of  God 
is  to  smite  the  nations  and  break  them  in  pieces.  (Dan.  2 : 
44,  as  quoted.)  Therefore,  men  have  asked  the  question, 
"How  can  these  two  statements  be  reconciled?" 

The  writer  can  cite  many  Scriptures  in  answer  to  this 
question,  but  only  a  few  will  be  given.  From  the  45th 
Section  of  D.  and  C.,  we  learn  that  the  nations  of  the  earth 
are  to  be  drawn  into  a  great  war  at  the  time  of  the  fullness 
of  the  Gentiles.  (Verse  24-34.)  The  world  is  now  in  the 
midst  of  this  great  war  and  it  has  entered  upon  its  fourth 
year. 

This  war  will  prove  to  be  the  beginning  of  the  crumbling 
of  nations  and  will  pave  the  way  for  the  gathering  of  Israel. 
The  Prophet  Joel  states  that  all  nations  shall  be  gathered 
in  a  great  battle  of  decision  at  the  time  of  Isarel's  redemp- 
tion. (2:28-32  and  3:1-21.)  He  speaks  of  the  heathen  na- 
tions being  brought  into  the  latter  part  of  that  certain  great 
war  among  the  mighty  nations  as  follows: 

"Proclaim  ye  this  among  the  Gentiles:  Prepare  war,  wake 
up  the  mighty  men,  let  all  the  men  of  war  draw  near;  let 
them  come  up:  11.  Assemble  yourselves  and  come,  all  ye 
heathens,  and  gather  yourselves  together  round  about; 
thither  cause  thy  mighty  ones  to  come  down,  O  Lord.  14. 
Multitudes,  multitudes  in  the  valley  of  decision :  for  the  day 
of  the  Lord  is  near  in  the  valley  of  decision."  Joel  3 :  9, 
11,  14. 

Who  are  these  mighty  ones  who  are  to  come  down  at 
or  near  the  time  of  the  coming  in  of  the  heathen  nations 
to  that  great  valley  of  decision?  They  are  His  coming 

149 


prophets,  who  are  to  lead  His  mighty  Northern  army — The 
Ten  Lost  Tribes.  (Isa.  13:3-13;  Joel  1:1-20;  2:1-27;  D. 
C.  84:114-120;  45:65-71.) 

We  have  previously  referred  to  the  sanctification  of  the 
individuals  of  this  army  (see  p.  124-5)  wherein  the  sword  will 
not  be  able  to  wound  them  when  they  return  (Joel  2:8,  20- 
21);  and  there  is  to  be  a  devouring  fire  go  before  them 
(Verse  3-5) ;  and  they  will  pass  through  the  cities  and  houses 
in  search  of  the  wicked  (Verse  6-9) ;  the  earth  shall  quake 
before  them,  which  event,  we  are  told  elsewhere,  will  take 
place  at  the  return  of  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes;  (D.  C.  133:  25- 
34;  Joel  2:  10).  We  are  further  told  in  Joel  that  it  will  be 
the  Lord's  army  that  will  do  this  work: 

"And  the  Lord  shall  utter  his  voice  before  His  army, 
for  His  camp  is  very  great;  for  he  is  strong  that  executeth 
His  word;  for  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  great  and  very  terrible; 
and  who  can  abide  it?"  2:  11. 

The  Prophet  Jeremiah  also  speaks  of  this  mighty  destroyer 
that  is  to  come  from  the  North  (4:5-6),  and  is  to  be  sent 
against  wicked  Juda  (Verse  1-4,  8-22),  as  well  as  to  destroy 
the  Gentiles.  He  says: 

"Set  up  the  standard  toward  Zion;  retire,  stay  not,  for 
I  will  bring  evil  from  the  North  and  a  great  destruction. 
The  lion  is  come  up  from  his  thicket;  and  the  destroyer  of 
the  Gentiles  is  on  his  way;  he  is  gone  forth  from  his  place 
to  make  thy  land  desolate;  and  thy  cities  shall  be  laid  waste 
without  an  inhabitant."  (4:6-7.)  He  further  informs  us 
that  it  shall  come  upon  us  as  a  whirlwind.  (4:  13.) 

From  various  other  Scriptures  we  learn  that  there  is  to 
be  a  destruction  of  the  wicked,  which  is  known  as  the  Lord's 
scourge,  and  which  shall  come  upon  them  as  a  whirlwind, 
and  it  will  begin  at  the  House  of  the  Lord,  amongst  our 
people,  and  go  from  there  to  Juda  and  the  world.  ( Jer.  23 : 
19-20;  30:23-24;  D.  C.  97:20-26;  112:24-26;  II  Nephi  14: 
1-6.) 

Therefore,  it  will  readily  be  seen  that  these  wars  and 
plagues  which  will  be  sent  among  the  wicked  Gentile  nations, 

150 


combined  with  the  Lord's  army  of  sanctified  men  which  will 
come  from  the  North,  will  be  the  means  of  destroying  these 
wicked  nations  from  the  face  of  the  earth  and  so  make  room 
for  the  people  of  God  in  the  lands  of  their  inheritance. 
Joseph  Smith  says: 

"And  now  I  am  prepared  to  say  by  the  authority  of  Jesus 
Christ,  that  not  many  years  shall  pass  away  before  the  United 
States  shall  present  such  a  scene  of  bloodshed  as  has  not 
a  parallel  in  the  history  of  our  nation;  pestilence,  hail, 
famine,  and  earthquake  will  sweep  the  wicked  of  this  gen- 
eration from  off  the  face  of  the  land,  to  open  and  prepare 
the  way  for  the  return  of  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel  from  the 
North  country."  (C.  H.  Vol.  1,  p.  315.) 

The  Prophet  Isaiah  has  also  referred  to  this  great  de- 
struction coming  from  the  North  just  prior  to  the  coming 
of  the  Lord.  He  informs  us  that  they  are  to  come  from 
the  extreme  northern  limit,  "the  end  of  Heaven."  They 
are  to  be  the  Lord's  "sanctified  ones"  gathered  in  battle 
against  the  wicked  nations  of  Babylon,  as  follows: 

"The  burden  of  Babylon,  which  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz 
did  see.  Jjift  ye  up  a  banner  upon  the  high  mountain,  exalt 
the  voice  unto  them,  shake  the  hand,  that  they  may  go  into 
the  gates  of  the  nobles.  I  have  commanded  my  sanctified 
ones,  I  have  also  called  my  mighty  ones  for  mine  anger,  even 
them  that  rejoice  in  my  highness.  The  noise  of  a  multitude 
in  the  mountains,  like  as  of  a  great  people;  a  tumultuous 
noise  of  the  kingdoms  of  nations  gathered  together;  the  Lord 
of  hosts  mustereth  the  host  of  the  battle.  They  come  from 
a  far  country,  from  the  end  of  Heaven,  even  the  Lord,  and 
the  weapons  of  His  indignation,  to  destroy  the  whole  land. 

"Howl  ye;  for  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand;  it  shall  come 
as  a  destruction  from  the  Almighty.  Therefore  shall  all 
hands  be  faint,  and  every  man's  heart  shall  melt:  And  they 
shall  be  afraid:  pangs  and  sorrows  shall  take  hold  of  them; 
they  shall  be  in  pain  as  a  woman  that  travaileth:  they  shall 
be  amazed  one  at  another;  their  faces  shall  be  as  flames. 

"Behold,  the  day  of  the  Lord   cometh,   cruel  both  with 

151 


wrath  and  fierce  anger,  to  lay  the  land  desolate:  and  He 
shall  destroy  the  sinners  thereof  out  of  it.  For  the  stars  of 
Heaven  and  the  constellations  thereof  shall  not  give  their 
light;  the  sun  shall  be  darkened  in  his  going  forth,  and  the 
moon  shall  not  cause  her  light  to  shine. 

"And  I  will  punish  the  world  for  their  evil,  and  the  wicked 
for  their  iniquity!  and  I  will  cause  the  arrogancy  of  the 
proud  to  cease  and  will  lay  low  the  haughtiness  of  the  ter- 
rible. I  will  make  a  man  more  precious  than  fine  gold; 
even  a  man  than  the  golden  wedge  of  Ophir.  Therefore  I 
will  shake  the  Heavens,  and  the  earth  shall  remove  out  of 
her  place,  in  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  and  in  the  day 
of  his  fierce  anger."  Isa.  13:1-13. 

The  reader  will  no  doubt  be  able  to  see  the  well-formed 
plans  and  work  of  magnitude  that  the  Lord  is  to  accom- 
plish; for  it  was  the  forefathers  of  these  Ten  Tribes  many 
generations  ago  who  were  compelled  to  leave  their  own 
country  in  search  of  a  land  where  no  man  lived,  in  order 
that  they  might  worship  their  God  in  peace.  It  will  be  their 
righteous  children  who  will  form  a  great  portion  of  the 
future  kingdom,  and  who  are  to  return  as  a  mighty  army 
to  destroy  the  nations  who  are  still  in  their  wicked  condition 
and  possessors  of  the  land  that  the  Lord  has  given  unto 
Israel. 

We  have  sketched  in  brief  the  destruction  of  the  wicked 
nations  and  the  setting  up  of  God's  Kingdom.  Let  us  now 
consider  the  King  who  shall  rule  over  Israel.  The  Prophet 
Hosea  has  predicted: 

"The  children  of  Israel  shall  abide  many  days  without 
a  king,  and  without  a  prince,  and  without  a  sacrifice.  .  .  . 
Afterward  shall  the  children  of  Israel  return  and  seek  the 
Lord,  their  God,  and  David,  their  King;  and  shall  fear  the 
Lord  and  his  goodness  in  the  latter  days."  3 :  4-5.  The 
Prophet  Ezekiel  says:  "And  I  will  set  up  one  shepherd  over 
them,  and  he  shall  feed  them,  even  my  servant  David;  he 
shall  feed  them,  and  he  shall  be  their  shepherd.  And  I,  the 
Lord,  will  be  their  God,  and  my  servant  David  a  prince 

152 


among  them."    Ezek.  34 :  23-24. 

It  is  true  that  Zion  of  America  and  Jerusalem  of  Palestine 
are  now  two  separate  •  countries,  but  the  kingdom  that 
Daniel  referred  to,  will  include  the  two,  and  David  will  be 
their  King;  Micah  informs  us  that  "the  law  shall  go  forth 
of  Zion,"  which  means  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  as  given 
to  Joseph  Smith,  containing  all  the  revelations  on  the  Gos- 
pel, ordinances  and  duties  of  the  Priesthood. 

It  will  also  include  the  revelations,  laws  and  ordinances 
that  Elijah  and  John  will  bring  us  when  they  return,  as  well 
as  the  sealed  records  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  writings 
of  John. 

Micah  continues:  "And  the  Word  of  the  Lord  from 
Jerusalem,"  which  means  that  the  Lord  is  to  speak  again 
from  the  Heavens  to  Juda,  and  thus  fulfil  His  words,  where- 
in He  has  said  that  He  would  reveal  Himself  first  unto  the 
Gentiles  and  then  unto  the  Jews  in  the  Latter  Days.  (I 
Nephi  13:  42;  II  Nephi  25:  14-17;  Romans  11:  25-26.) 

No  one  needs  to  emphasize  the  Scriptures  in  order  to  de- 
velop the  fact  that  the  Lord  is  going  to  unite  the  whole  of 
Israel  into  one  grand  family  or  kingdom  in  the  Last  Days. 
The  fact  that  the  Root  and  Rod  of  Jesse  are  to  be  of  the 
house  of  Juda,  as  well  as  of  Joseph,  or  Ephraim,  speaks 
for  itself;  for  one  is  to  gather  them,  and  the  other  is  prob- 
ably to  reign  over  them;  this  is  in  order  that  there  shall  be 
no  jealousy  between  the  two  leading  tribes,  who  have  al- 
ways stood  at  the  head  of  the  twelve  tribes. 

Reuben  was  the  first  born  of  the  twelve  sons  of  Jacob, 
but,  through  sin,  he  lost  his  birthright  and  it  was  given  unto 
Joseph.  However,  Juda  prevailed  above  Joseph,  hence  the 
envy  came  between  the  two  tribes.  (I  Chron.  5:1-2.) 

History  shows  that  the  tribes  of  Jiida  and  Joseph 
(Ephraim)  took  the  lead  in  all  the  great  events  of  the  twelve 
tribes;  for  instance,  in  the  days  of  Rehoboam,  the  son  of 
Solomon,  of  the  tribe  of  Juda,  when  he  ascended  the  throne, 
he  vexed  the  other  tribes  to  the  extent  that  ten  tribes  rebelled 
and  withdrew  from  Juda,  and  took  Joseph  (Ephraim)  as 

153 


their  leader,  and  established  a  new  kingdom  that  was  known 
as  "the  kingdom  of  Israel,"  and  they  remained  two  kingdoms 
until  they  were  destroyed  and  scattered  by  the  Assyrians. 

Both  the  house  of  Israel  and  of  Judah  have  suffered  many 
judgments  at  the  hand  of  the  Lord  for  their  transgressions; 
yet  He  has  many  blessings  in  store  for  them,  and  when  they 
turn  their  faces  toward  their  Redeemer,  in  that  same  day 
will  He  gather  them  to  the  lands  He  gave  them  for  their 
inheritance;  Juda  and  the  Ten  Tribes  to  the  Eastern  conti- 
nent (land  of  Palestine)  (Deut.  30:1-5;  II  Nephi  10:2-8), 
Ephraim  or  Joseph,  and  the  believing  Gentiles  to  America. 
For  the  Lord  has  said : 

"But  if  they  will  repent,  and  hearken  unto  my  words,  and 
harden  not  their  hearts,  I  will  establish  my  Church  among 
them,  and  they  shall  come  in  unto  the  covenant,  and  be 
numbered  among  this  the  Remnant  of  Jacob,  unto  whom  I 
have  given  this  land"  (America)  "for  their  inheritance. 
And  they  shall  assist  my  people,  the  remnant  of  Jacob,  and 
also,  as  many  of  the  house  of  Israel  as  shall  come,  that  they 
may  build  a  city,  which  shall  be  called  the  New  Jerusalem. 
And  then  shall  they  assist  my  people  that  they  may  be 
gathered  in,  who  are  scattered  upon  all  the  face  of  the  land, 
in  unto  the  New  Jerusalem.  And  then  shall  the  powers  of 
heaven  come  down  among  them;  and  I  also  will  be  in  the 
midst."  Ill  Nephi  21 :22-25. 

The  Prophet  Ezekiel,  after  referring  to  the  coming  forth 
of  the  Stick  of  Ephraim  (Book  of  Mormon),  continues: 

"Behold,  I  will  take  the  children  of  Israel  from  among 
the  heathen,  whither  they  be  gone,  and  will  gather  them  on 
every  side,  and  bring  them  into  their  own  land:  And  I  will 
make  them  one  nation  in  the  land  upon  the  mountains  of 
Israel;  and  one  king  shall  be  king  to  them  all;  and  they  shall 
be  no  more  two  nations,  neither  shall  they  be  divided  into 
two  kingdoms  any  more  at  all:  .  .  .  And  David,  my 
servant,  shall  be  king  over  them;  and  they  all  shall  have  one 
shepherd:  they  shall  also  walk  in  my  judgments."  Ezek, 
37:21-24. 

154 


Before  we  leave  this  subject,  we  again  quote  Joseph 
Smith,  who  was  likewise  looking  for  such  a  kingdom  and 
king: 

"Although  David  was  a  king,  he  never  did  obtain  the  spirit 
and  power  of  Elijah,  and  the  fullness  of  the  Priesthood;  and 
the  Priesthood  that  he  received,  and  the  throne  and  king- 
dom of  David  is  to  be  taken  from  him  and  given  to  another 
by  the  name  of  David  in  the  last  days,  raised  up  out  of  his 
lineage."  Compendium,  p.  283,  March  10,  1844. 

The  establishment  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  the  raising 
up  of  a  righteous  king,  is  in  fulfillment  of  the  covenant  that 
the  Lord  made  unto  the  house  of  Israel;  and,  according  to 
our  written  revelations,  the  saints  are  to  flee  to  America,  in 
order  to  evade  the  coming  plagues.  But  have  our  Priests 
and  prophets  repeated  this  warning? 

The  records  show  that  some  of  high  standing  have  gone 
so  far  in  recent  years  as  to  counsel  the  Saints  to  remain  in 
their  foreign  lands,  which  is  contrary  to  the  Lord's  com- 
mandments, as  well  as  to  Joseph  Smith's  teachings,  and  today 
they  are  to  be  found  where? — in  the  trenches  and  under  the 
sod. 

The  Prophet  Ezekiel  speaks  of  certain  shepherds  of  Israel 
who  will  be  ruling  God's  people  at  the  time  that  David  shall 
set  up  the  kingdom  in  its  fullness  as  follows: 

"Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  unto  the  shepherds:  'Woe  be 
to  the  shepherds  of  Israel  that  do  feed  themselves!  Should 
not  the  shepherds  feed  the  flock?  Ye  eat  the  fat,  and  ye 
clothe  'you  with  the  wool,  ye  kill  them  that  are  fed,  but  ye 
feed  not  the  flock.  .  .  .  And  they  were  scattered, 
because  there  is  no  shepherd:  and  they  became  meat  to  all 
the  beasts  of  the  field,  when  they  were  scattered.  .  . 
Therefore,  oh  ye  shepherds,  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord; 

"Thus  saith  the  Lord  God:  'Behold,  I  am  against  the 
shepherds;  and  I  will  require  my  flock  at  their  hand,  and 
cause  them  to  cease  from  feeding  the  flock;  neither  shall 
the  shepherds  feed  themselves  any  more,  for  I  will  deliver 
my  flock  from  their  mouth,  that  they  may  not  be  meat  for 

155 


them.  .  ' .  .  And  I  will  bring  them  out  from  the  people, 
and  gather  them  from  the  countries,  and  will  bring  them  to 
their  own  land,  and  feed  them  upon  the  mountains  of  Israel 
by  the  rivers.'  .  .  . 

"And  as  for  you,  O  my  flock,  thus  saith  the  Lord  God: 
Behold,  I  judge  between  cattle  and  cattle,  between  the  rams 
and  the  he  goats.  .  .  .  And  I  will  set  up  one  shepherd 
over  them,  and  he  shall  feed  them,  even  my  servant  David; 
he  shall  feed  them,  and  he  shall  be  their  shepherd.  .  .  . 
And  I  will  make  with  them  a  covenant  of  peace,  and  will 
cause  the  evil  beasts  to  cease  out  of  the  land/  "  Ezek. 
34:2-25. 

In  conclusion  we  add  that  David,  the  future  king  of  all 
Israel,  may  possibly  be  the  Rod  of  Jesse,  who  is  to  come 
from  the  lineage  of  Christ  (Isa.  11:1),  and  who  is  referred 
to  in  D.  and  C.  113:3-4  as  a  "servant  in  the  hands  of  Christ, 
who  is  partly  a  descendant  of  Jesse"  (the  father  of  David 
of  old)  "as  well  as  of  Ephraim,  or  of  the  house  of  Joseph, 
on  whom  there  is  laid  much  power." 

The  fact  that  Israel  is  to  have  a  kingdom  and  a  righteous 
king  is  enough  to  bring  joy  to  the  hearts  of  the  children  of 
Israel,  including  all  races  of  mankind  who  have  accepted  the 
restored  Gospel  and  ordinances  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

Inasmuch  as  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  and  the  House  of  Joseph 
are  to  occupy  an  important  position  in  this  future  kingdom, 
it  becomes  essential  that  the  status  of  these  two  divisions  of 
the  House  of  Israel  be  considered. 

THE  RETURN  OF  THE  TEN  LOST  TRIBES 

Members  of  our  Priesthood  hold  two  opinions  on  the  ques- 
tion of  where  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  are  now  located.  Some 
of  our  early  authors  show  clearly  from  the  Scriptures  that 
they  are  to  come  from  an  unknown  North  country.  (Eccle- 
siastical History,  p.  363-374. — B.  H.  Roberts.) 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  many  Elders  and  able  leaders 
who  openly  declare,  in  their  official  sermons  of  recent  years, 

156 


that  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  are  here  amongst  us,  with  no  ref- 
erence whatever  to  the  fact  that  even  a  portion  of  them  are 
to  come  from  the  unknown  North.  Some  of  these  sermons 
have  been  delivered  during  Conference  in  the  Salt  Lake 
Tabernacle  before  the  President  and  Apostles  of  the  Church, 
and  afterwards  sold  in  the  Church  book  stores  as  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Church. 

In  recent  years  the  tendency  has  been  to  eliminate  almost 
any  of  the  great  events  and  miracles  that  are  foretold  in  the 
Scriptures  concerning  the  final  gathering  of  Israel  and 
redemption  of  Zion.  The  reason  for  this  course  evidently 
lies  partly  in  the  fact  that  if  they  did  admit  these  various 
prophets  were  to  come,  then  it  would  necessitate  the  admis- 
sion that  they  were  coming  to  set  the  House  of  God  in 
order;  for  this  work,  according  to  the  Scripture,  is  to  be  a. 
part  of  their  mission.  D.  C.  85:6-12. 

As  the  previous  subjects  have  been  analyzed  from  a  Scrip- 
tural standpoint,  the  subject  in  question  will  be  likewise 
answered  from  the  written  Word  of  God,  which  is  all  power- 
ful. The  following  prophecy  is  cited  to  show  that  the  Ten 
Lost  Tribes  are  yet  to  come  forth  from  an  unknown  North 
country:  * 

"And  He  shall  utter  His  voice  out  of  Zion,  and  He  shall 
speak  from  Jerusalem,  and  His  voice  shall  be  heard  among 
all  people,  And  it  shall  be  a  voice  as  of  the  voice  of  many 
waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  a  great  thunder,  which  shall  break 
down  the  mountains  and  the  valleys  shall  not  be  found; 

"He  shall  command  the  great  deep,  and  it  shall  be  driven 
back  into  the  North  countries,  and  the  islands  shall  become 
one  land,  And  the  land  of  Jerusalem  and  the  land  of  Zion 
shall  be  turned  back  into  their  own  place,  and  the  earth  shall 
be  like  as  it  was  in  the  days  before  it  was  divided.  And  the 
Lord,  even  the  Savior,  shall  stand  in  the  midst  of  his  people 
and  shall  reign  over  all  flesh. 

"And  they  who  are  in  the  North  countries  shall  come  in 
remembrance  before  the  Lord,  and  their  prophets  shall  hear 
his  voice,  and  shall  no  longer  stay  themselves,  and  they  shall 

157 


smite  the  rocks,  and  the  ice  shall  flow  down  at  their  presence. 
And  an  highway  shall  he  cast  up  in  the  midst  of  the  great 
deep. 

"Their  enemies  shall  become  a  prey  unto  them,  And  in  the 
barren  deserts  there  shall  come  forth  pools  of  living  water; 
and  the  parched  ground  shall  no  longer  be  a  thirsty  land. 
And  they  shall  bring  forth  their  rich  treasures  unto  the 
children  of  Ephraim,  my  servants.  And  the  boundaries  of 
the  everlasting  hills  shall  tremble  at  their  presence.  And 
there  shall  they  fall  down  and  be  crowned  with  glory,  even 
in  Zion,  by  the  hands  of  the  servants  of  the  Lord,  even  the 
children  of  Ephraim.  And  they  shall  be  filled  with  songs  of 
everlasting  joy."  D.  C.  133:21-33. 

The  above  quotation  alone  is  sufficient  to  conclusively 
show  that  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  are  not  with  us  today,  nor 
has  anything  taken  place  amongst  us  as  a  people,  whereby  a 
comparison  can  he  claimed  for  its  fulfillment. 

The  records  show  that  they  will  have  prophets  of  their 
own;  that  when  the  Lord  shall  call,  they  will  begin  their 
journey;  that  the  ice  and  the  rocks  will  flow  down  at  their 
presence,  and  the  great  chain  of  hills  and  mountains  will 
tremble  before  them.  Knowing  this,  how  can  one  claim  that 
the  coming  of  an  Englishman  or  Dane  to  the  Stakes  of  Zion 
is  a  partial  fulfillment  of  the  above  prophecy,  even  though 
he  should  have  a  portion  of  the  blood  of  Israel  in  his  veins? 
We  are  furttier  informed  that  they  are  to  bring  a  written 
record  with  them: 

"For  behold,  I  shall  speak  unto  the  Jews,  and  they  shall 
write  it;  and  I  shall  also  speak  unto  the  Nephites,  and  they 
shall  write  it;  and  I  shall  also  speak  unto  the  other  tribes  of 
the  house  of  Israel,  which  I  have  led  away,  and  they  shall 
write  it;  and  I  shall  also  speak  unto  all  nations  of  the  earth, 
and  they  shall  write  it. 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  the  Jews  shall  'have  the 
words  of  the  Nephites,  and  the  Nephites  shall  have  the  words 
of  the  Jews;  and  the  Nephites  and  the  Jews  shall  have  the 
words  of  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel;  and  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel 

158 


shall  have  the  words  of  the  Nephites  and  the  Jews. 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  my  people,  which  are  of 
the  house  of  Israel,  shall  be  gathered  home  unto  the  lands  of 
their  possessions;  and  my  words  also  shall  be  gathered  in 
one.  And  I  will  shew  unto  them  that  fight  against  my  word 
and  against  my  people,  who  are  of  the  house  of  Israel,  that 
I  am  God,  and  that  I  covenanted  with  Abraham,  that  I  would 
remember  his  seed  forever."  II  Nephi  29 :12-14.  (Ill  Nephi 
21:20-29.) 

Knowing  that  the  Ten  Tribes  will  have  a  record,  when 
they  come,  similar  to  that  of  the  Bible,  or  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, we  ask,  have  any  of  the  converts  who  have  come  to 
Zion  brought  a  written  record  with  them?  The  answer  is, 
they  have  not. 

A  book  entitled  "The  Ten  Tribes  Discovered  and  Identi- 
fied," by  Stephen  Malan,  a  member  of  the  Church,  is  now 
being  sold  in  the  Church  Deseret  News  Book  Store.  In  this 
book,  the  previous  quotation  (D.  C.  133:21-33)  is  found, 
with  the  following  comments : 

"But  how  shall  the  rocks  be  smitten  and  the  ice  flow  down 
at  their' coming?  Leaving  out  all  consideration  of  the  super- 
natural, we  may  say  that  the  most  reasonable  explanation  of 
this  phenomenon  lies  in  the  skillful  engineering,  the  explo- 
sive, the  machinery,  the  manual  labor  expended  in  the  con- 
struction of  our  railroads  over  plains,  mountain  defiles, 
across  rivers  and  thru  mountains.  And  no  doubt,  too,  this 
work  in  the  rocks  would  affect  the  ice-bound  regions  of  the 
North. 

"The  sentence  concerning  the  barren  desert  will  be  fulfilled 
in  the  advances  made  in  intelligence,  education,  industry  and 
the  Lord's  blessings  upon  His  children;  in  fact,  this  has 
already  been  fulfilled  more  or  less  completely.  .  .  .  The 
phrase,  'the  boundaries  of  the  everlasting  hills  shall  tremble 
at  their  presence/  is  a  figurative  expression.  It  is  no  other 
event  than  this — that  the  number  of  people  shall  be  so  great 
who  shall  be  discovered  by  the  Gospel  as  to  awe  the  adver- 
saries upon  the  everlasting  hills." 

159 


Sufficient  has  been  quoted  to  show  the  line  of  thought  that 
the  above  writer  has  undertaken  to  develop.  The  writer 
regrets  to  say  that  many  of  our  Elders  are  following  the 
same  line  of  thought;  but,  if  the  Scriptures  are  to  be  taken 
as  our  guide,  how  can  a  man  claim  the  Priesthood  of  God, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  write  or  teach  such  doctrine? 

Andrew  Jensen,  one  of  the  speakers  at  the  Eighty-third 
Annual  Conference  (April,  1913),  referred  to  the  Ten 
Tribes.  His  entire  remarks  on  this  subject  were  that  the 
Ten  Tribes  were  among  us  today,  with  no  reference  or  hint 
of  the  fact  that  a  portion  of  them  were  elsewhere.  This  ser- 
mon was  published  and  incorporated  in  the  Conference 
Report  (page  80),  by  the  authorities  of  the  Church  as  Church 
teachings,  and  has  caused  much  comment  and  dissatisfaction 
among  those  who  love  truth. 

We  now' continue  to  review  other  Scriptures  on  this  ques- 
tion. Jeremiah  says: 

"Behold,  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  it  shall  no 
more  be  said,  The  Lord  liveth,  that  brought  up  the  children 
of  Israel  out  of  the  Land  of  Egypt;  but,  The  Lord  liveth, 
that  brought  up  the  children  of  Israel  from  the  land  of  the 
North,  and  from  all  the  lands  whither  he  had  driven  them; 
and  I  will  bring  them  again  into  their  land  that  I  gave  unto 
their  fathers."  16:14-15. 

In  the  Book  of  Mormon,  we  find  the  Lord  making  the 
following  statement  at  the  time  that  He  was  about  to  leave 
His  disciples  here  in  America: 

"Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  I  have  other  sheep,  which  are 
not  of  this  land;  neither  of  the  land  of  Jerusalem;  neither 
in  any  part  of  that  land  round  about,  whither  I  have  been  to 
minister.  .  .  .  But  I  have  received  a  commandment  of 
the  Father,  that  I  shall  go  unto  them,  and  that  they  shall 
hear  my  voice,  and  shall  be  numbered  among  my  sheep,  that 
there  may  be  one  fold,  and  one  shepherd,  therefore,  I  go  to 
show  myself  unto  them."  Ill  Nephi  16:1,  3. 

"Now  I  go  unto  the  Father,  and  also  to  shew  myself  unto 
the  lost  tribes  of  Israel,  for  they  are  not  lost  unto  the  Father, 

160 


for  He  knoweth  whither  He  hath  taken  them."  Ill  Nephi 
17:4.  The  late  Apostle,  Orson  Pratt,  says  that  these  lost 
tribes  are  the  Ten  Tribes.  (See  III  Nephi  15:12-21.  Foot- 
note b.)  We  also  have  the  following  from  him: 

"Away  in  yonder  North  countries,  where,  I  do  not  know, 
but  away  in  those  regions  are  ten  tribes  of  the  house  of 
Israel.  .  .  .  Jeremiah  tells  us  where  they  will  go;  he 
tells  us  there  is  to  be  a  place  called  Zion  established  before 
these  tribes  come  out  of  the  North  countries,  and  when  they 
come  with  a  great  company,  the  blind  and  the  lame  with 
them,  and  the  Lord  God  leads  them  with  supplication  and 
with  tears  and 'prayers,  bringing  them  forth  from  those 
dreary,  desolate,  cold  arctic  regions;  when  that  day  shall 
come,  there  shall  be  a  Zion  prepared  to  receive  these  ten 
tribes,  before  they  finally  go  back  to  Palestine."  (Journal 
of  Discourses,  Vol.  18,  p.  22-23.) 

Note  that  Orson  Pratt  says  .they  will  visit  Zion,  which  will 
be  built  up  in  Missouri;  not  that  they  will  go  to  the  scattered 
stakes  of  Zion,  as  some  are  teaching  today.  This  is  verified 
by  the  Prophet  Ether,  for  he  says  that  a  holy  city  shall  be 
built  up  in  this  country,  and  that  Jerusalem  of  old  shall  also 
be  built  up,  and  that  it  will  be  the  land  of  inheritance  for 
Juda,  and  also  for  those  who  shall  come  from  the  land  of 
the  North,  who,  Orson  Pratt  says  (Footnote  "n")  are  the 
ten  tribes.  As  follows: 

"Wherefore  the  remnant  of  the  house  of  Joseph  shall  be 
built  upon  this  land;  and  it  shall  be  a  land  of  their  inher- 
itance; and  they  shall  build  up  a  holy  city  unto  the  Lord, 
like  u'nto  the  Jerusalem  of  old,  and  they  shall  no  more  be 
confounded,  until  the  end  come,  when  the  earth  shall  pass 
away. 

"And  then  also  cometh  the  Jerusalem  of  old;  and  the 
inhabitants  thereof,  blessed  are  they,  for  they  have  been 
washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb;  and  they  are  they  who 
were  scattered  and  gathered  in  from  the  four  quarters  of 
the  earth,  'and  from  the  North  countries/  and  are  partakers 
of  the  fulfilling  of  the  covenant  which  God  made  with  their 

161 


father   Abraham."      Ether    13:8,    11.       (Jer.    31:7-9.      Jer. 
16:14-15.) 

It  is  asked,  "Where  is  this  North  country?"  Inasmuch  as 
man  has  practically  reached  the  North  Pole,  with  no  signs 
of  a  people  like  the  lost  tribes  living  in  the  surrounding 
vicinity,  we  admit  that  it  is  a  question  for  a  prophet  to 
answer.  It  is  similar  to  the  picture  which  faced  the  Israel- 
ites when  they  stood  between  the  Red  Sea  and  the  approach- 
ing mighty  army  of  Pharoah;  for  it  took  the  eye  of  a  prophet, 
and  the  power  of  his  words,  to  open  the  way  of  deliverance. 

And  so  in  this  case,  has  the  Lord  provided  a  way.  The 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  gave  us  the  key  when  he  answered 
the  question, — where  are  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  located?  He 
called  for  pencil  and  paper  and  drew  three  circles  tangent 
to  one  another,  and  in  a  straight  line,  with  their  common 
axis  on  the  same  angle  as  that  of  this  earth;  he  said  that 
the  center  circle  represented  this  earth,  and  that  we  would 
learn  of  the  bottom  circle  in  the  coming  future.  Then, 
pointing  to  the  top  circle,  he  informed  them  that  there  was 
the  location  of  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes,  which,  of  course,  repre- 
sented a  sphere  like  unto  our  earth. 

The  full  details  of  this  can  be  found  in  a  book  written  by 
Matthew  W.  Dalton,  a  student  of  astronomy  and  inventor 
of  the  most  comprehensive  Planetarium  (price  $1.00,  Deseret 
News  Book  Store,  Salt  Lake  City),  and  one  who  was  per- 
sonally acquainted  with  Philo  Dibble  of  Springville,  Utah 
(C.  H.,  Vol.  1,  p.  431),  who  received  the  original  drawing 
and  statement  relating  thereto,  from  Joseph  Smith  in  1842, 
which  was  drawn  and  delivered  in  the  office  of  the  Prophet 
and  in  the  presence  of  six  other  prominent  Latter  Day  Saints. 
He,  in  turn,  gave  to  the  said  Dalton,  in  May,  1884,  a  true 
copy  of  the  said  drawing  and  statement,  which  was  given  in 
the  presence  of  certain  witnesses,  as  noted  in  his  book. 

He  has  also  published  in  the  above  book  sworn  statements 
of  others  who  have  seen  the  original  drawing.  The  author 
discusses  this  question  from  many  angles.  He  shows  that  it 
was  this  planet  that  was  on  our  North  (which  the  writer  of 

162 


these  lines  believes  has  gone  off  on  an  orbit  of  its  own  and 
will  return  in  due  time)  that  furnished  a  portion  of  the 
water  that  flooded  this  earth  in  the  days  of  Noah;  he  also 
shows  from  a  scientific  research,  that  at  an  early  age  a  body 
of  water  came  from  the  North,  and  that  it  afterward 
returned.  This  is  in  harmony  with  the  Scriptures,  for  Moses 
tells  us  that  it  was  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  and  the 
windows  of  heaven  that  furnished  the  waters  which  flooded 
this  earth  in  the  days  of  Noah  (Gen.  7:11).  And  likewise, 
when  the  waters  left  the  earth,  that  "The  fountains  also  of 
the  deep  and  the  windows  of  heaven  were  stopped,  and  the 
rain  from  heaven  was  restrained;  And  the  waters  returned 
from  off  the  earth  continually;  and  after  the  end  of  the 
hundred  and  fifty  days  the  waters  were  abated."  Gen.  8  :2-3. 

The  principle  and  power  employed  in  driving  this  great 
body  of  water  "from  off  of  the  earth5'  was  a  wind..  Moses 
says :  "And  God  made  a  wind  to  pass  over  the  earth,  and  the 
waters  assuaged.  Gen.  8 :1. 

What  were  these  fountains  of  the  deep  and  why  the  wind? 
There  appears  to  be  but  one  answer,  namely,  they  were  the 
connecting  channels  between  this  Northern  and  Southern 
planet.  The  wind  forcing  itself  against  the  waters  until  they 
were  driven  back  from  whence  they  came. 

The  hiding  of  this  Northern  Planet,  or  its  reunion,  requires 
a  mighty  miracle,  but  we  are  told  to  look  for  this.  Jeremiah 
tells  us  that  this  event  will  be  so  much  greater  than  that  of 
.  the  Israelites  crossing  over  on  dry  ground  thru  the  Red  Sea, 
that  when  this  latter  event  takes  place,  the  people  of  Israel 
will  no*  longer  say  that  we  worship  the  God  "that  brought  up 
the  children  of  Israel  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt;  But  the  Lord 
lieth,  that  brought  up  the  children  of  Israel  from  the  land 
of  the  North."  16:14-15. 

We  are  told  by  astronomers  that  there  are  double  stars 
to  be  seen  in  the  heavens.  (See  Webster's  International  Dic- 
tionary— Double  Stars,  Binary  Stars.) 

Additional  information  as  to   the  location   of  these  ten 

163 


tribes  was  given  to  Joseph  Smith  in  a  vision  in  the  Kirtland 
Temple,  as  follows: 

"After  this  vision  closed,  the  heavens  were  again  opened 
unto  us,  and  Moses  appeared  before  us,  and  committed  unto 
US  the  keys  of  the  gathering  of  Israel  from  the  four  parts  of 
the  earth,  and  the  leading  of  the  ten  tribes  from  the  land  of 
the  North."  D.  C.  110:11. 

Could  the  Lord  tell  us  in  plainer  words  that  the  Ten  Tribes 
are  not  on  this  earth;  for  surely  the  four  parts  of  the  earth 
cover  the  whole?  The  Apostle,  Orson  Pratt,  also  gives  us 
the  information  that  John  the  Revelator  is  to  gather  the 
Ten  Tribes.  (D.  C.  Index — John.) 

Once,  while  the  spirit  of  prophecy  fell  upon  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  in  a  remarkable  manner,  he  predicted  that 
John  the  Revelator  was  then  laboring  among  the  Ten  Lost 
Tribes.  (C.  H.,  Vol.  1,  p.  176.  See  p.  --  herein.)  The 
reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  term  "Keys"  is  often  used 
in  modern  revelations  to  express  that  knowledge  was  con- 
veyed. (D.  C.  128:21,  KEY  to  John's  revelations,  D.  C.  77, 
Section,  Compendium,  p.  270,  Gems — Keys.) 

Therefore,  we  gather  that  Joseph  Smith  was  given  the 
authority  to  begin  the  gathering  of  Israel  from  the  four 
quarters,  and  a  knowledge  pertaining  to  the  Ten  Tribes  and 
their  gathering;  but  that  John  was  to  prepare  and  gather 
the  Ten  Tribes.  It  should  also  be  borne  in  mind  that  John 
has  the  mission  of  gathering  all  Israel.  (See  chapters  V 
and  VI  herein.) 

By  summing  up  all  the  evidence,  briefly  cited,  and  con- 
sidering that  the  mountains  are  to  be  leveled,  the  great  val- 
leys and  ocean  basins  to  be  raised,  and  the  great  bodies  of 
waters  are  to  be  driven  back  to  the  North  Countries  at  the 
coming  of  Christ  (D.  C.  133-17-33;  Isa.  40:1-5),  and  the 
islands  to  become  one  land,  the  reader  will  no  doubt  concur 
that  there  remains  but  one  solution,  namely,  that  there  must 
be  a  union  with  a  planet  on  our  north  to  receive  the  waters  of 
this  planet  at  the  time  that  these  great  changes  take  place. 
This  northern  planet  has  also,  in  the  mean  time,  furnished 

164 


the  dwelling  and  hiding  place  for  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes. 

Their  location  has  been  beautifully  portrayed  in  song  by 
Sister  Eliza  Snow  (wife  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith),  also 
the  author  of  the  famous  Mormon  hymn,  "0  My  Father." 
We  quote  in  part  (Hymn  386,  verse  5)  : 

"And  when  the  Lord  saw  fit 

The  Ten  Lost  Tribes  to  hide  away, 
Thou,  earth,  was  severed  to  provide 
The  Orb  on  which  they  stay." 

Joseph  Smith  one  referred  to  the  return  of  the  Ten  Tribes 
and  the  coming  judgments,  as  follows: 

"Pestilence,  hail,  famine  and  earthquakes  will  sweep  the 
wicked  of  this  generation  from  off  the  face  of  the  land,  to 
open  and  prepare  the  way  for  the  return  of  the  Lost  Tribes 
of  Israel  from  the  North  country.  The  people  of  the  Lord, 
those  who  have  complied  with  the  requirements  of  the  new 
covenant,  have  already  commenced  gathering  together  to 
Zion,  which  is  in  the  State  of  Missouri;  therefore,  I  declare 
unto  you  the  warning  which  the  Lord  has  commanded  me  to 
declare  unto  this  generation,  remembering  that  the  eyes  of 
my  Maker  are  upon  me,  and  that  to  Him  I  am  accountable 
for  every  word  I  say,  wishing  nothing  worse  to  my  fellow- 
men  than  their  eternal  salvation;  therefore,  'Fear  God,  and 
give  Glory  to  Him,  for  the  hour  of  His  judgment  is  come/ 
Repent  ye,  repent  ye,  and  embrace  the  everlasting  covenant, 
and  flee  to  Zion,  before  the  overflowing  scourge  overtake 
you,  for  there  are  those  now  living"  (1833)  "upon  the  earth 
whose  eyes  shall  not  be  closed  in  death  until  they  see  all  of 
these  things  which  I  have  spoken  fulfilled."  C.  H.,  Vol  1,  p. 
315-6.  D.  C.  112:24-26,  D.  C.  97:21-24.)  Again  we  have: 

"Verily  this  is  the  word  of  the  Lord,  that  the  city  New 
Jerusalem  shall  be  built  by  the  gathering  of  the  saints,  begin- 
ning at  this  place,  even  the  place  of  the  temple,  which  temple 
shall  be  reared  in  this  generation.  For  verily,  this  genera- 
tion shall  not  all  pass  away  until  an  house  shall  be  built  unto 
the  Lord,  and  a  cloud  shall  rest  upon  it,  which  cloud  shall 

165 


be  even   the   glory  of   the   Lord,   which  shall   fill  the  house." 

D.  C.  84:4-5.     (Revelation  given  in  1832.) 

Eighty-five  years  have  passed  away,  and  but  few  of  that 
generation  are  left,  and  possibly  five  or  ten  years  more  will 
place  them  all  in  their  graves;  therefore,  we  can  readily  see 
where  we  stand. 

Now,  if  Joseph  Smith's  statement  and  the  above  revela- 
tions are  to  be  our  guide,  then  the  writer  wishes  to  ask  the 
question:  Why  are  the  Priests  and  the  Prophets  refraining 
from  expounding  these  facts  pertaining  to  the  Ten  Tribes, 
and  doing  all  they  can  to  make  it  appear  that  we  have  yet 
many  years  to  run  before  we  need  look  for  any  changes? 

As,  for  example,  we  will  quote  a  statement  from  one  of 
our  leading  Patriarchs,  who  held  a  position  in  one  of  our 
Holy  Temples  at  the  time  he  answered  certain  questions,  as 
to  when  the  great  Temple  at  Independence,  Mo.,  and  the 
New  Jerusalem  are  to  be  built. 

"It  is  not  necessary  to  build  a  temple  in  Jackson  County. 
We  have  six  temples  already  built.  The  Lord  commanded 
us  to  build  a  temple,  and  see,  the  Latter  Day  Saints  have 
done  more  than  the  Lord  commanded  us  to  do;  and  about 
the  New  Jerusalem,  Oh,  that  will  take  at  least  another  fifty 
years." 

On  account  of  the  many  things  yet  to  be  fulfilled  and  the 
shortness  of  the  time  that  is  left  for  the  generation  of  1832, 
as  well  as  for  this  dispensation,  we  therefore  are  looking  for 
the  Lord  to  set  His  hand  again  the  second  time  to  gather  all 
Israel. 

The  Gentile  nations  are  to  fall;  the  Jews  to  gather  back 
to  Palestine;  the  remnants  of  Joseph  to  be  used  as  the  Lord's 
battle-ax  against  the  wicked  Gentiles  (III  Nephi  20:11-22), 
and  then  they  are  to  receive  the  Gospel,  gather  to  Zion 
(Independence,  Mo.,)  and  build  the  New  Jerusalem  and  the 
great  temple;  they  are  to  be  assisted  in  the  building  up  of 
Zion  by  the  believing  Gentiles,  as  well  as  the  Ten  Lost 
Tribes.  (Ill  Nephi  21:22-29.)  The  Jews  also  are  to  build 
a  temple,  receive  revelations  (C.  H.,  Vol.  5,  p.  336.  1 

166 


Nephi  13:42.  Micah  4:1-2),  and  have  two  prophets  raised 
up  unto  them.  (Rev.  llth  chapter.  D.  C.  77:15.  Zech. 
4:11-14.)  John  the  Revelator,  Elijah,  the  Three  Nephites, 
Moroni  and  Adam  are  to  return  and  complete  the  building 
up  of  God's  Kingdom. 

Some  of  the  leading  great  nations  are  today  modifying 
their  national  laws  in  favor  of  the  Jews.  America  and  the 
British  allies  are  behind  them,  and  will  see  to  it  that  Jeru- 
salem is  returned  to  her  lawful  heirs  in  due  time. 

The  Jews  are  now  preparing  to  return  to  their  own  coun- 
try as  soon  as  this  war  will  permit  them,  and  they  are  begin- 
ning to  believe  in  Jesus  the  Christ,  which  is  the  given  sign 
that  they  will  soon  be  gathered.  (II  Nephi  10 :6-8;  25 :13-18. 
Isa.  11:10-13.) 

He  would  have  gathered  Israel  when  He  was  on  the  earth, 
but  they  would  not  (Math.  23  :37-39) ;  and  in  this  generation, 
when  Zion  was  established,  He  persuaded  the  Saints  to 
gather,  but  many  failed  to  heed  His  call.  (D.  C.  105:1-10; 
34:37;  101:1-16.) 

The  Lord,  after  reviewing  our  failures  and  the  reasons 
why  he  suffered  Zion  to  fall,  in  1833,  continues: 

"Zion  shall  not  be  moved  out  of  her  place,  notwithstanding 
her  children  are  scattered.  They  that  remain,  and  are  pure 
in  heart,  shall  return,  and  come  to  their  inheritances,  they 
and  their  children,  with  songs  of  everylasting  joy,  to  build 
up  the  waste  places  of  Zion."  D.  C.  101:17-18. 

From  all  records  that  we  are  able  to  find,  there  only 
remains  three  or  four  living  members  of  the  Saints  who 
were  driven  out  of  Zion  in  1833.  Two  of  them  have  been 
yisited  by  a  personal  friend  of  the  writer,  their  present  age 
bein/?  about  eighty-five  and  ninety-one.  Their  attention  was 
called  to  the  above  quoted  revelation,  and  it  brought  joy  to 
their  feeble  minds. 

From  all  that  has  been  said,  the  reader  can  see  that  the 
redemption  of  Zion  is  near  at  hand,  and  that  it  is  to  be  the 
grandest  display  of  power  that  the  Lord  has  ever  wrought 
among  men  since  the  beginning  of  this  world's  history. 

167 


In  reviewing  the  records  relating  to  God's  dealings  with 
the  gathering  of  wicked  Israel  to  their  promised  land  in 
former  years,  we  read  how  He  held  them  in  the  wilderness 
for  forty  years  until  there  were  only  two  (Joshua  and 
Caleb)  that  came  out  of  Egypt  left  to  enter  Canaan.  Who 
knows  but  what  another  year  may  complete  for  the  Latter 
Day  Saints  the  time  of  waiting  for  the  redemption  of  Zion, 
and  that  only  two  or  three  of  those  who  were  driven  out  in 
1833,  will  be  left  to  return? 

The  Latter  Day  Saints  have  now  waited  seventy-one  years 
in  their  homes  among  the  mountains  for  Zion's  redemption. 
But  let  it  be  as  it  may,  one  or  five  years  more,  the  ques- 
tion resolves  itself  into  this,  Are  we  preparing  ourselves  to 
take  part  in  this  great  gathering  of  God's  people  wherein 
Juda,  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes,  Joseph  and  the  honest  in  heart  of 
the  Gentiles  are  to  be  gathered  to  Palestine  and  Zion  of 
America,  which  work  of  gathering  will  be  in  the  hands  of 
the  mighty  prophets  whom  the  Lord  is  to  send,  whose  coming 
is  nigh  at  hand? 

Think  not  that  we  can  evade  the  coming  wars  and  plagues 
unless  we  gather  unto  the  above  places  of  refuge;  for  we 
have  been  warned  by  many  prophets  of  old  of  the  coming 
days  of  tribulation,  and  last  of  all,  God  has  repeated  this 
warning  through  his  chosen  prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  as 
follows : 

"Take  away  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  the  Revelations, 
and  where  is  our  religion?  We  have  none;  for  without  Zion 
and  a  place  of  deliverance,  we  must  fall;  because  the  time 
is  near  when  the  sun  will  be  darkened,  and  the  moon  turn  to 
blood,  and  the  stars  fall  from  heaven,  and  the  earth  reel 
to  and  fro. 

"Then,  if  this  is  the  case,  and  if  we  are  not  sanctified  and 
gathered  to  the  places  God  has  appointed,  with  all  our  former 
professions  and  our  great  love  for  the  Bible,  we  must  fall; 
we  cannot  stand;  we  cannot  be  saved;  for  God  will  gather 
out  His  Saints  from  the  Gentiles;  and  then  comes  desolation 
and  destruction,  and  none  can  escape  except  the  pure  in 

168 


heart   who   are    gathered."      C.    H.,    Vol.    2,    p.    52.       (D.    C. 

45:62-75.) 

According  to  prophecy,  the  time  has  arrived  for  a  shifting 
of  the  gospel  in  the  House  of  Israel,  inasmuch  as  the  "Full- 
ness of  the  Gentiles"  has  set  in,  which  gives  us  a  period  of 
eighty-seven  years  or  better  for  the  Gentiles. 

We  learn  from  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  Nephi  that 
it  has  been  among  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  for  the  same  period 
of  time.  As  for  Juda,  we  gather  from  the  records  that  it  will 
go  unto  her  at  the  coming  of  the  Lord's  future  prophets. 

Last  of  all,  it  will  go  to  Joseph,  the  Remnant  of  Jacob. 
(D.  C.  90:8-10.)  But  first  it  appears  that  they  are  to  be 
used  as  a  tool  In  bringing  judgment  home  to  the  Gentiles 
before  they  accept  the  gospel,  as  a  whole,  and  gather  to  Zion. 

This  judgment  is  outlined  in  the  following  division. 

THE   REMNANT  OF  JACOB 

The  fall  of  all  nations  and  the  setting  up  of  the  King- 
dom of  God,  as  foretold  by  many  prophets,  has  been  out- 
lined in  a  previous  division.  This  calamity  is  now  facing 
the  nations  of  the  world.  It,  therefore,  not  only  behooves 
us  to  consider  the  coming  of  this  Kingdom,  but  the  status 
of  our  future  security  from  a  prophecy  standpoint. 

We,  as  Americans,  are  anchoring  our  hopes  of  safety  on 
our  naval  and  military  forces.  We  also  feel  ready  to  strain 
every  fiber  of  our  bodies  in  supporting  and  maintaining 
these  two  branches  for  the  preservation  of  our  unity  and 
national  honor;  and  we  feel,  that  when  this  universal  unrest 
of  nations  is  all  over,  Old  Glory  will  be,  as  ever,  vic- 
torious'in  defending  our  homes  and  rights  abroad. 

We  must  not  forget,  however,  our  great  and  final  national 
test  will  be,  have  we  accepted  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  are 
we  living  the  principles  contained  therein? 

We  must  also  consider  the  appalling  destruction,  which 
was  the  result  of  wickedness,  of  the  Jaredites,  who  came 
from  the  tower  of  Babel  to  America,  and  of  the  Nephites, 

169 


who  came  from  Jerusalem  B.  C.  600;  for  the  Lord  thru  the 
Prophet  Ether  has  said: 

"And  he  has  sworn  in  his  wrath  unto  the  brother  of 
Jared,  that  whoso  should  possess  this  land  of  promise,  from 
that  time  hence  forth  and  forever,  should  serve  him,  .  .  . 
For  behold,  this  is  a  land  which  is  choice  above  all  other 
lands;  wherefore  he  that  doth  possess  it  shall  serve  God,  or 
shall  be  swept  off;  for  it  is  the  everlasting  decree  of  God. 

"And  it  is  not  until  the  fullness  of  iniquity  among  the 
children  of  the  land,  that  they  are  swept  off.  And  this 
cometh  unto  you,  O  ye  Gentiles,  that  ye  may  know  the 
decrees  of  God,  that  ye  may  repent,  and  not  continue  in  your 
iniquities  until  the  fullness  comes,  that  ye  may  not  bring 
down  the  fullness  of  the*  wrath  of  God  upon  you,  as  the 
inhabitants  of  the  land  hath  hitherto  done."  (Ether  2:8-11; 
II  Nephi  27:1-3.) 

The  call  of  His  restored  Gospel,  dating  back  to  Joseph 
Smith,  has  reached  many  millions  of  the  people  here  in 
America  and  in  Europe.  Many  have  accepted  the  same  and 
have  gathered  to  the  stakes  of  Zion  in  America,  and  today 
they  are  enjoying  peace,  while  the  greater  portion  of  those 
who  rejected  it  are  waging  war  against  their  neighbors  and 
are  reaping  the  results;  but  let  us  not  think  that  because 
this  great  nation  of  ours  is  today  enjoying  peace  within, 
that  she  likewise  will  be  in  the  future,  for  this  same  judg- 
ment is  inevitable,  unless  we,  as  a  whole,  turn  from  our 
wickedness  and  prepare  ourselves  for  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

As  God  has  set  the  bounds  of  nations,  let  us  briefly  con- 
sider what  He  has  said  about  America. 

Thru  prophecy  we  learn  that  He  has  given  the  land  of 
Palestine  to  the  tribes  of  Israel,  likewise  we  are  told  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon  that  He  has  given  this  land  of  America  to 
a  Remnant  of  Jacob,  the  descendants  of  Joseph,  known  as 
the  American  Indian.  That  portion  of  the  Gentiles  who  will 
accept  His  restored  Gospel,  are  to  be  numbered  with  Joseph. 
Nephi  informs  us: 

"Wherefore  the  Gentiles  shall  be  blessed  and  numbered 

170 


among  the  House  of  Israel.  Wherefore,  I  will  consecrate 
this  land  unto  thy  seed,  and  they  who  shall  be  numbered 
among  thy  seed  forever,  for  the  land  of  their  inheritance; 

for  it  is  a  choice  land,  saith  God  unto  me,  above  all  other 
lands,  wherefore  I  will  have  all  men  that  dwell  thereon,  that 
they  shall  worship  me,  saith  God."  II  Nephi  10:18-19. 
(D.  C.  52:2;  III  Nephi  21:14,  22-24,  with  footnotes  2k  and 
2L;  I  Nephi  14:1-7.) 

The  giving  of  this  land  to  the  Remnants  of  Jacob  is  in 
fulfillment  of  the  blessing  that  Jacob  bestowed  upon  his  son 
Joseph : 

"Joseph  is  a  fruitful  bough,  even  a  fruitful  bough  by  a 
well  whose  branches  run  over  the  wall:  The  blessings  of 
thy  father  have  prevailed  above  the  blessings  of  my  pro- 
genitors unto  the  utmost  bound  of  the  everlasting  hills;  they 
shall  be  on  the  head  of  Joseph,  and  on  the  crown  of  the  head 
of  him  that  was  separate  from  his  brethren."  Gen.  49 :22,  26. 

This  blessing  began  to  be  fulfilled  when  the  prophet  Lehi 
and  his  family,  who  were  of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  (I  Nephi 
5:1-16),  were  led  by  the  hand  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem 
to  America  in  B.  C.  600.  Their  complete  history  is  given 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon.  Thus  have  they  branched  over  the 
wall  (the  known  limit  of  the  ocean)  and  inhabited  the  ever- 
lasting hills,  the  Rocky  and  Andes  mountains,  which  extend 
from  pole  to  pole.  (I  Nephi,  18th  chapter.) 

These  people  brought  the  law  of  Moses  with  them,  and 
they  kept  a  record  of  their  religious  affairs.  This  record, 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  shows  that  after  the  Lord  ascended 
from  the  Eastern  continent  He  descended  to  America,  and 
gave  the  descendants  of  Joseph  the  same  Gospel  He  had 
given  to  the  Jews  at  Palestine. 

Their  record  clearly  indicates  that  there  existed  two 
branches  of  these  people,  the  Nephites  and  Lamanites;  the 
latter  being  more  inclined  to  wickedness  and  previously 
cursed  for  their  unrighteousness.  (II  Nephi  5:1-24.)  How- 
ever, their  brethren,  the  Nephites,  had  accepted  the  gospel, 
as  delivered  unto  them,  and  had  lived  the  principles  for  some 

171 


200  years,  but  in  consequence  of  wealth,  drifted  into  wicked- 
ness during  the  following  200  years.  As  a  sequence,  the 
Lord  sent  a  war  as  a  judgment  against  them;  and  those 
who  had  once  been  righteous  were  destroyed,  while  those 
who  were  victorious  were  further  cursed  with  a  darker  skin. 
(Mormon  5:15-17.)  The  latter  were  the  forefathers  of  the 
American  Indian. 

Their  last  prophet,  Moroni,  the  son  of  Mormon,  a  Nephite, 
buried  their  record,  and,  on  September  21st,  1823,  came  to 
the  boy  Joseph  Smith  and  revealed  its  hiding  place.  This 
record  is  also  called  the  Stick  of  Ephraim  (Ezek.  37:15-19) ; 
from  it  we  learn  that  various  families  living  on  this  conti- 
nent built  ships  and  set  out  to  sea  never  to  return.  (Alma 
63:4-8.) 

We  as  a  people  have  made  various  researches  and  have 
found  ample  evidence  to  convince  ourselves  that  the  natives 
of  New  Zealand,  Japan,  the  Hawaiian  and  Samoan  Island 
group  have  descended  from  the  same  stock  as  the  American 
Indian  (north  and  south),  time  and  conditions  having 
wrought  on  them  various  changes.  The  Mexicans  are 
descendants  from  the  same  people,  but  have  mixed  with  the 
Spanish  blood  in  latter  years.  These  various  nations  are  of 
Joseph,  thru  Ephraim,  and  they  are  known  as  the  Remnant 
of  Jacob  and  will  be  referred  to  as  such  in  this  chapter. 

From  references  previously  quoted,  we  learn  that  this 
country  has  been  given  to  these  people,  namely,  the  Rem- 
nants of  Jacob,  but  on  account  of  their  wickedness  the  Lord 
has  permitted  the  Gentiles  to  come  over  and  drive  them  from 
pillar  to  post.  (I  Nephi  13:10-16,  30-31.)  But  He  has 
given  them  a  sign,  as  stated  in  their  record,  that  when  they 
see  the  record  of  their  forefathers  coming  forth,  in  the 
latter  days,  unto  the  Gentiles,  they  may  know  that  He  has 
begun  to  fulfil  His  covenant  with  Israel.  (Ill  Nephi  21  :l-7.) 

The  record  continues  by  saying,  that  after  this  has  taken 
place,  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  He  will  send  a  prophet  unto 
them,  known  as  the  Marred  Servant,  who  the  writer  has 
previously  shown  will  evidently  be  Johirthe  Revelator.  This 

172 


prophet  is  to  bring  forth  the  Lord's  great  and  marvelous 
works  (verses  8-10)  and  if  the  Gentiles  refuse  to  accept  him 
and  his  records,  he  will  cut  that  portion  of  them  off  from 
among  His  people,  and  will  permit  the  Remnants  of  Jacob 
to  go  thru  them.  Quoted  in  part  (also  see  quotation,  pages 
118-19,  Marred  Servant)  : 

"Therefore  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  whosoever  will  not 
believe  in  my  words,  who  am  Jesus  Christ,  whom  the  Father 
shall  cause  him  to  bring  forth  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  shall 
give  unto  him  power  that  he  shall  bring  them  forth  unto 
the  Gentiles  (it  shall  be  done  even  as  Moses  said),  they 
shall  be  cut  off  from  among  my  people  who  are  of  the 
covenant. 

"And  my  people,  who  are  a  Remnant  of  Jacob,  shall  be 
among  the  Gentiles,  yea,  in  the  midst  of  them,  as  a.  lion 
among  the  beasts  of  the  forest,  as  a  young  lion  among  the 
flocks  of  sheep,  who,  if  he  go  through,  both  treadeth  down 
and  teareth  in  pieces,  and  none  can  deliver. 

"Their  hand  shall  be  lifted  up  upon  their  adversaries,  and 
all  their  enemies  shall  be  cut  off.  Yea,  woe  be  unto  the  Gen- 
tiles, except  they  repent,  for  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that 
day,  saith  the  Father,  that  I  will  cut  off  thy  horses  out  of  the 
midst  of  thee,  and  I  will  destroy  thy  chariots;  And  I  will  cut 
off  the  cities  of  thy  land,  and  throw  down  all  thy  strong- 
holds." Ill  Nephi  21 :11-15. 

This  same  thought  is  verified  by  a  second  statement  of 
the  Lord  to  the  Remnants  of  Jacob  of  this  country,  as  fol- 
lows: 

"And  the  Father  hath  commanded  me  that  I  should  give 
unto  you  this  land,  for  your  inheritance.  And  I  say  unto 
you,  'that  if  the  Gentiles  do  not  repent,  after  the  blessings 
which  they  shall  receive,  after  they  have  scattered  my  people, 
Then  shall  ye,  who  are  a  remnant  of  the  House  of  Jacob,  go 
forth  among  them;  .  .  .  who,  if  .he  goeth  through,  both 
treadeth  down  and  teareth  in  pieces  and  none  can  deliver." 
(Ill  Nephi  20 :14-16.  Note  the  remainder  of  chapter.) 

The  Prophet  Mormon,  in  referring  to  the  Remnants  of 

173 


Jacob  and  the  Gentiles  of  America,  says  that  thru  wicked- 
ness their  people  would  be  cursed  with  a  dark  color  of  skin 
and  would  Jbecome  filthy  and  would  be  scattered  by  the 
Gentiles,  but  that  in  the  last  days  they  would  be  gathered, 
and  that  their  record  (the  Book  of  Mormon)  would  be 
restored  unto  them  thru  the  Gentiles,  which  would  assist 
them  and  the  Jews  to  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ.  (Mor- 
mon 5:14-20.)  He  continues: 

"Then,  O  ye  Gentiles,  how  can  ye  stand  before  the  power 
of  God,  except  ye  shall  repent  and  turn  from  your  evil  ways ! 
Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  in  the  hands  of  God?  Know  ye 
not  that  He  hath  all  power,  and  at  His  great  command  the 
earth  shall  be  rolled  together  as  a  scroll?  Therefore,  repent 
ye,  and  humble  yourselves  before  Him,  lest  He  shall  come 
out  in  justice  against  you;  lest  a  remnant  of  the  seed  of 
Jacob  shall  go  forth  among  you  as  a  lion,  and  tear  you  in 
pieces,  and  there  is  none  to  deliver."  Mor.  5:22-24.  (Gen. 
10:25;D.  C.  133:22-24.) 

Now  with  this  thought  established,  let  us  see  if  the  Lord 
has  actually  foretold  the  final  results.  There  was  a  revela- 
tion given  in  1832  (D.  C.  87  Sec.)  that  foretold  in  detail  our 
civil  war,  as  well  as  the  present  great  war.  Its  continuation 
is  as  follows: 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  after  many  days,  slaves  shall 
rise  up  against  .their  masters,  who  shall  be  marshaled  and 
disciplined  for  war:  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  also,  that  the 
remnants  who  are  left  of  the  land  will  marshal  themselves, 
and  shall  become  exceeding  angry,  and  shall  vex  the  Gentiles 
with  a  sore  vexation;  And  thus  with  the  sword,  and  by  blood- 
shed, the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  shall  mourn;  and  with 
famine,  and  plague,  and  earthquakes,  and  the  thunder  of 
heaven,  and  the  fierce  and  vivid  lightning  also,  shall  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth  be  made  to  feel  the  wrath,  the  indig- 
nation and  chastening  hand  of  an  Almighty  God,  until  the 
consumption  decreed,  hath  made  a  full  end  of  all  nations/' 
D.  C.  87:4-6;  63:32-37;  5:17-20;  84:114-120;  II  Nephi 
27:1-3.) 

174 


The  late  Apostle  Orson  Pratt,  in  Footnote 
"Slaves,"  in  the  above  fourth  verse,  says  that  it  was  ful- 
filled in  part  in  the  civil  war  (1861).  The  5th  and  6th 
verses  foretell  the  actual  conditions  that  will  come  to  pass 
between  the  Remnants  of  Jacob  and  the  Gentiles.  Orson 
Pratt  says,  in  Footnote  "d"  that  they  will  be  the  "remnants 
of  Joseph,"  therefore,  this  revelation  verifies  the  fact  that 
the  result  of  this  prophecy  has  actually  been  foreseen  and 
is  inevitable. 

We  are  further  told  in  45th  section  that  the  Gentiles 
would  reject  this  restored  Gospel,  thus  closing  the  only  gate 
of  escape.  From  the  17th  to  the  24th  verses  the  Lord  out- 
lines the  judgments  which  would  be  sent  against  the  Jews 
for  rejecting  the  Gospel,  showing  how  they  would  be  scat- 
tered. He  continues  as  follows : 

"But  they  shall  be  gathered  again,  but  they  shall  remain 
until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled.  And  in  that  day 
shall  be  heard  of  wars  and  rumors  of  wars,  and  the  whole 
earth  shall  be  in  commotion,  and  men's  hearts  shall  fail 
them,  and  they  shall  say  that  Christ  delayeth  His  coming 
until  the  end  of  the  earth;  and  the  love  of  men  shall  wax 
cold,  and  iniquity  shall  abound; 

"And  When  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  is  come  in,  a  light 
shall  break  forth  among  them  that  sit  in  darkness,  and  it 
shall  be  the  fullness  of  my  Gospel;  But  they  receive  it  not, 
for  they  perceive  not  the  light  and  they  turn  their  hearts 
from  me  because  of  the  precepts  of  men;  And  in  that  gen- 
eration" (1830)  "shall  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be  fulfilled; 

"And  there  shall  be  men  standing  in  that  generation,  that 
shall  not  pass,  until  they  shall  see  an  overflowing  scourge, 
for  a  desolating  sickness  shall  cover  the  land;  But  my  dis- 
ciples shall  stand  in  holy  places,  and  shall  not  be  moved;  but 
among  the  wicked,  men  shall  lift  up  their  voices,  and  curse 
God  and  die.  And  there  shall  be  earthquakes  also  in  divers 
places,  and  many  desolations;  yet  men  will  harden  their 
hearts  against  me,  and  they  will  take  up  the  sword,  one 

175 


against  another,  and  they  will  kill  one  another."  (D.  C. 
45:25-33. 

The  term,  the  "coming  in  of  the  times  of  the  Gentiles," 
was  fulfilled  in  1830,  at  the  coming  forth  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith  and  the  Book  of  Mormon;  and  the  term,  "The 
Fullness  of  the  Gentiles,"  or,  "until  the  times  of  the  Gen- 
tiles be  fulfilled,"  refers  to  the  present  time;  this  great  war 
was  given  as  the  signal  for  the  beginning  of  the  same. 

In  this  same  revelation  (Verses  62-75),  we  are  told  of  the 
center  stake  that  is  to  be  built  up  in  Independence,  Mo., 
called  Mount  Zion,  or  the  New  Jerusalem,  that  it  would  soon 
become  our  only  refuge  for  safety.  This  city  is  to  be  the 
capital  of  the  Western  Kingdom  during  the  Millennium.  We 
are  also  told  that  it  will  be  built  within  the  generation  of 
1832,  so  it  evidently  will  be  completed  before  1932.  (D.  C. 
84:2-5;  Ether  13:1-12;  III  Nephi  21:22-29;  D.  C.  101: 
1-19.) 

It  has  been  stated  that  one  of  our  late  apostles  was  blessed 
by  the  second  comforter,  which  is  a  visitation  of  the  Lord; 
and  the  apostle  was  informed  upon  his  inquiry  as  to  the  time 
of  the  Remnants  of  Joseph  receiving  the  restored  Gospel, 
that  this  would  not  take  place  until  after  they  had  accom- 
plished the  redemption  of  the  land  of  their  inheritance.  (C. 
H.  Vol.  3,  p.  380.) 

This  is  in  harmony  with  the  revelation  as  found  in  D.  C. 
90:  7-11:  There  we  are  told  that  the  Gospel  will  first  go  to 
the  Gentiles,  then  to  the  Jews,  and  then  to  the  House  of 
Joseph.  If  we  ask  ourselves,  have  the  Gentile  nations  ac- 
cepted the  Gospel  as  restored  through  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  and  then  review  the  history  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  L.  D.  S.  for  the  last  87  years,  we  shall  see  how  they 
have  rejected  it;  and  this  is  only  half  of  the  story;  for  they 
have  persecuted  and  driven  the  Saints  from  place  to  place 
and  from  some  of  the  leading  nations,  among  them  being 
Germany. 

They  have  made  it  their  pride  to  circulate  false  statements 
of  every  description  concerning  our  people;  their  ministers 

176 


have  stood  in  their  pulpits  and  waged  persecution  against 
us,  and  have  declared  that  "if  it  was  in  their  power,  they 
would  not  permit  the  Mormons  to  have  one  foot  of  God's 
green  earth  to  dwell  on." 

Their  ministers  have  converted  many  of  their  members 
to  the  belief  that  it  is  a  righteous  act  to  shut  their  doors  in 
the  faces  of  the  so-called  Mormon  Elders.  But  we  need 
not  go  on  to  further  prove  these  assertions,  for  the  people 
of  the  world  know  them  to  be  true. 

Therefore,  from  a  prophetic  standpoint,  as  taken  from 
these  previously  quoted  in  this  book,  we  can  see  that  the 
arm  of  justice  will  soon  fall  upon  the  Gentiles;  and  when 
that  day  comes,  0  ye  Gentiles  who  have  laughed  to  scorn 
at  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  so-called  Mormonism,  be  it 
known  unto  you,  that  the  arm  of  the  Lord  will  be  against 
you  if  you  continue  to  reject  His  restored  Gospel,  and  it 
will  be  with  the  Remnants  of  Jacob,  and  as  judgment  sent 
against  you  from  the  Lord,  they  will  be  able  to  accomplish 
that  which  He  has  decreed,  and  none  will  be  able  to  deliver 
you.  (Ill  Nephi  21:7-21;  20:14-22;  Mormon  5:15-24; 
D.  C.  87:5-8.) 

It  is  not  necessary  for  the  writer  to  point  out  the  signs 
of  the  times  which  indicate  the  near  approach  of  these 
judgments. 

As  this  present  great  war  is  to  humble  the  nations  and 
prepare  the  land  of  Palestine  for  the  gathering  of  Juda,  so 
likewise  in  the  near  future,  will  the  land  of  Joseph's  inheri- 
tance be  prepared  for  their  gathering;  then  will  the  arm 
of  the  Lord  be  revealed  in  mighty  power  to  convince  them 
of  His  restored  Gospel,  and  they,  with  the  believing  Gentiles, 
will  build  up  the  New  Jerusalem  and  her  many  stakes,  unto 
whicn  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  will  come  and  pay  homage  before 
they  finally  go  back  to  Palestine.  (D.  C.  133:16-34;  90: 
9-11.) 

As  a  closing  thought  to  those  who  are  not  informed  on  the 
prophecies  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  the  writer  wishes  to 
point  out  that  the  dark  skin  as  borne  by  the  Remnants  of 

177 


Jacob  as  a  curse  for  rejecting  the  Gospel  in  former  years,  is 
to  be  taken  away  and  their  former  beauty  of  whiteness  to 
be  restored  at  the  time  that  they  accept  the  restored  Gospel 
and  gather  to  Zion.  (Mormon  5:  14-22;  II  Nephi  30:  2-10.) 

Therefore,  it  is  high  time  for  the  proud,  disbelieving  Gen- 
tiles to  wake  up  and  realize  that  these  people  are  of  Israel, 
and  this  land  has  been  given  to  them,  and  the  Gentiles  who 
accept  the  restored  Gospel,  as  their  inheritance. 

Consequently,  it  behooves  the  Gentile  who  desires  a  land 
of  liberty  and  safety,  as  well  as  blessings  from  above,  to 
accept  this  Gospel  and  cease  to  wage  a  war  of  prejudice 
against  these  two  classes  of  people ;  for  the  set  time  to  favor 
them  is  nigh  at  hand,  and  the  hour  of  judgment  against  the 
unbelieving  Gentiles  for  their  wickedness  and  refusal  to 
accept  His  Gospel  is  at  their  door. 

The  actual  length  of  time  from  the  setting  up  of  the  King- 
dom of  God  in  its  fullness,  to  the  coming  of  Christ,  will  evi- 
dently be  no  longer  than  the  time  required  to  complete  the 
final  gathering  of  Israel  and  the  fall  of  all  nations.  Then 
cometh  the  Christ  with  the  resurrected  Saints  of  all  ages, 
to  enjoy  the  great  millennial  reign  of  one  thousand  years, 
when  the  curses  of  earth  will  be  lifted  and  superseded  by 
blessings. 

It  will  be  this  reign  of  peace  and  righteousness  that  will 
prepare  the  Saints  for  their  final  degree  of  glory  which  will 
be  given  them  at  the  end  of  earth's  temporal  existence  of 
7000  years,  better  known  as  the  end  of  the  earth.  (D.  C. 
77:6-7,  Rev.  20th  and  22nd  Chapters,  inc.) 

APPEAL 

In  the  appeal  and  concluding  remarks  to  the  thinking  in- 
dividual, the  question  is  asked:  Are  you  prepared  to  meet 
your  Lord  and  Redeemer,  who  is  coming  in  flaming  fire?  If 
you  are  not,  then  it  would  appear  that  you  should  be  interest- 
ed in  the  coming  of  the  Lord's  future  prophets. 

With  the  sign  of  the  near  approaching  end,  and  the  plagues 
of  war  and  famine  that  surround ^ the  world  taking  the  lives 

178 


of  millions,  with  greater  calamities  yet  to  follow,  and  know- 
ing that  all  nations  are  to  fall  and  that  the  Kingdom  of  God 
is  to  be  set  up  in  its  fullness,  does  it  not  behoove  us  all  to 
learn  the  Lord's  will  and  plans,  as  well  as  to  cleanse  our- 
selves from  sin? 

If  the  reader  be  a  Gentile  or  Jew  and  cannot  see  or  be- 
lieve that  the  Lord  has  indeed  re-established  His  Church  and 
Priesthood  thru  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  which  indeed 
is  the  beginning  of  this  kingdom,  he  can  at  least  be  honest 
and  make  a  covenant  with  himself  that  he  will  accept  these 
future  prophets  when  they  come,  and  then  become  a  part 
of  this  kingdom  when  it  is  set  up  in  its  fullness  with  David 
as  its  King  and  the  Lord's  mighty  prophets  as  his  guiding 
counselors. 

It  was  men  claiming  the  Priesthood  of  Jesus  Christ  who 
put  their  Redeemer  to  death  in  ages  past;  and,  today,  it  is 
a  portion  of  the  Shepherds  of  Israel  who  are  striving  against 
His  plans. 

One  would  think  that  every  Latter  Day  Saint  would  be 
interested  in  the  coming  of  these  future  prophets  and  events; 
but  we  regret  to  say  that  a  good  portion  of  our.  Priesthood 
and  Saints  is  not  looking  for,  or  taking  any  interest  in, 
them.  ° 

We  have  been  taught  that  all  authority  has  been  given 
%unto  us;  therefore,  no  need  of  these  future  prophets;  but, 
when  attention  is  called  to  that  portion  of  the  Word  of  God 
that  testifies  to  the  mission  of  these  future  prophets,  many 
try  to  justify  themselves  by  saying  that  "these  subjects  are 
out  of  season,  and  are  not  for  us  to  discuss."  Others  say 
that  "if  they  should  come  that  they  would  have  to  labor  un- 
der the  direction  of  the  presiding  authorities/' 

If  we  accept  the  counsel  given  in  the  first  statement, 
truth,  which  the  Saints  should  know  concerning  future  events 
that  are  at  our  door,  would  be  held  back;  and  by  accepting 
the  second,  we  would  be  trying  to  limit  the  power  of  God  by 
forcing  Him  to  complete  these  great  and  marvelous  works 
thru  and  under  our  jurisdiction.  But  the  day  will  soon  come 

179 


when  we  all  shall  learn  the  great  lesson  that  He  is  able 
to  raise  up  or  send  other  prophets,  who  will  hold  direct 
authority  from  Him,  to  labor  and  perform  His  works  as  He 
did  in  former  days  when  He  called  Paul.  (See  pages  102-5.) 

Those  who  refuse  to  accept  these  future  prophets,  who 
have  been  reserved  for  the  final  gathering  of  Israel,  will 
be  cast  out  with  the  hypocrites  and  unbelievers.  (D.  C.  85: 
6-9;  101:90.) 

Sufficient  has  been  given  to  show  that  freedom  is  no  longer 
enjoyed  among  the  members  of  our  Priesthood,  and  that 
we  are  not  permitted  to  speak  on  these  subjects  at  issue  un- 
less we  take  up  the  negative  side.  There  are  many  things 
daily  transpiring  in  the  Church  that  are  causing  an  unrest 
among  many  of  her  worthy  members.  They  are  realizing 
that  their  tithings  are  being  hoarded  up  in  great  sums  and 
being  invested  in  stocks  foreign  to  Church  affairs.  For 
instance,  the  Utah  Hotel,  which  until  recently  contained  a 
bar.  To  hear  some  of  the  leading  brethren  refer  to  this 
hotel  as  a  similitude  of  the  Nauvoo  House,  which  the  Lord 
commanded  the  Saints  to  build  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Church,  bu^t  never  built,  is,  within  itself,  enough  to  cause 
one  to  blush.  (D.  C.  124:22-24,  56-57,  111-122;  Isa.  28:12- 
13;  D.  C.  128:21-22.) 

We  speak  the  truth  when  we  declare  that  the  tithing  funds 
have  been  given  to  build  up  churches,  to  spread  the  Gospel,, 
for  the  support  of  the  Priesthood,  and  not  for  business  en- 
terprises. 

It  is  also  to  be  regretted  that  our  Church  President  is 
connecting  himself  with  almost  every  kind  of  business,  as 
well  as  some  of  the  leading  brethren,  who  spend  much  of 
their  official  time  in  looking  after  these  investments  and 
living  from  the  revenues  therefrom;  but,  at  the  same  time, 
withholding  needed  financial  aid  of  the  tithing  funds  from 
the  Seventies  and  Elders  and  their  families  while  on  their 
mission,  to  which  the  Lord  has  said  they  are  entitled. 

The  reason  for  withholding  this  aid  is  expressed  in  the 
following  quotation :  "They  have  not  pressed  their  claims." 

180 


This  reminds  us  of  certain  shepherds,  as  referred  to  in 
prophecy,  who  will  be  living  when  David  sets  up  the  king- 
dom in  its  fullness,  who  will  be  clothing  themselves  with 
wool,  but  feed  not  the  flock.  (Ezekiel  34th  Chap.)  Joseph 
Smith  said: 

"The  Twelve  and  the  Seventies  are  particularly  to  depend 
upon  their  ministry  for  their  support  and  that  of  their 
families,  and  they  have  a  right,  by  virtue  of  their  offices,  to 
call  upon  the  Churches  to  assist  them."  (C.  H.  Vol.  2,  p. 
221.) 

This  provision  for  the  support  of  the  ministers  of  the  Gos- 
pel was  made  by  the  Prophet  before  the  law  of  tithing  was 
revealed.  And  when  the  law  of  tithing  was  given,  the  Lord 
established  the  following: 

"For  the  building  of  mine  house  and  for  the  laying  of 
the  foundation  of  Zion  and  for  the  Priesthood,  and  for  the 
debts  of  the  Presidency  of  My  Church."  (D.  C.  119:2.) 

The  language  of  the  above  law,  which  pertains  to  this 
question,  clearly  indicates  that  it  is  not  the  will  of  the  Lord 
that  the  laborer  of  the  vineyard  should  have  to  strain  him- 
self and  family,  financially,  while  on  his  mission  and  some- 
times are  forced  to  return  for  want  of  private  funds  to  com- 
plete his  worthy  labors.  We  should  all  appreciate  that  the 
laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire. 

By  reviewing  all  that  has  been  said,  it  will  be  readily  un- 
derstood why  so  many  of  the  Saints  have  become  restless 
for  the  want  of  these  greater  things,  and  why  the  increasing 
desire  of  the  Elders  for  speaking  on  these  subjects  exists; 
yet  they^are  afraid  that  if  they  do  they  will  be  cut  off  from 
the  Church  or  be  ostracized  by  their  leaders;  which  treat- 
ment has  been  applied  to  scores  of  humble  Elders  and  Saints 
in  the  past  few  years,  as  well  as  at  the  present  time. 

The  result  of  the  writer's  previous  book  ("The  Return  of 
John  the  Revelator"),  has  filled  his  file  with  many  letters 
from  members  of  the  Priesthood  and  Saints,  expressing  their 
appreciation  for  the  thoughts  that  were  conveyed  in  it. 
The  last  one  received  from  one  of  the  brethren  tells  the 

181 


story  that  he  has  been  notified  by  the  authorities  that,  un- 
less he  discontinues  his  association  with  those  Saints  who 
believe  in  these  prophecies,  they  would  cut  him  off  from  the 
Church;  which  speaks  for  itself  as  to  the  present  status  of 
conditions. 

The  Lord,  in  looking  down  thru  time,  saw  our  day  and 
condition,  and  saw  fit  to  call  that  portion  of  us  who  possess 
this  unrighteous  spirit,  via,  the  closing  of  their  eyes  to  the 
truth,  "The  Drunkards  of  Ephraim."  Drunk,  not  with  wine, 
but  rather  with  self -ambition  and  authority;  drunk  because 
they  will  not  see  the  plain  teachings  of  the  Lord,  and  con- 
sequently, are  working  against  His  plans.  (Isa.  28:1-22; 
D.  C.  85:6-12.) 

Oh  Shepherds  of  Israel,  how  can  you  contend  against  the 
coming  of  these  mighty  servants?  Can  you  not  see  the  re- 
sults of  your  decisions,  and  what  is  your  purpose  and  gain 
in  prohibiting  the  Elders  of  Israel  to  inform  the  Saints  of 
the  full  authority  and  mission  of  these  future  prophecies? 

You  have  openly  declared  that  there  is  to  be  no  Mighty 
and  Strong  Servant  to  come,  that  Elijah  has  finished  his 
mission,  and  that  John  is  not  to  come  and  labor  amongst  us 
in  the  flesh,  that  if  he  does  come  he  will  be  only  as  a  min- 
istering angel.  But  do  you  realize  that  you  have  failed  to 
produce  one  thread  of  evidence  to  prove  your  statements? 

These  future  leaders  will  be  a  blessing  to  the  Saints;  and 
the  man  who  will  refuse  to  be  governed  by  these  prophets  is 
a  man  who  loves  the  honor  of  men  and  aspires  to  the  glory 
of  the  world;  such  a  servant  the  Lord  will  cut  off  in  due  time. 

Saints  of  Israel,  how  long  will  you  suffer  these  certain 
prophecies,  that  contain  food  and  are  as  a  pillar  of  light  to 
the  soul,  to  remain  under  cover?  The  very  fact  that  they 
are  recorded  in  plain  language,  is  sufficient  proof  that  they 
should  be  read  and  understood.  And  how  much  longer  do 
you  propose  to  dwell  on  the  first  principles  of  the  Gospel? 

If  you  have  obeyed  them,  then  why  not  go  on  unto  per- 
fection by  adding  knowledge  to  your  faith,  which  is  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  instructions  of  Paul  and  Joseph  Smith? 

182 


Post  yourselves  on  these  questions  and  cease  to  repeat  that 
statement  which  is  deceiving  you,  namely,  "That  the  time 
has  not  come  for  these  things,"  for  they  are  at  your  door. 

Oh!  Priests  and  Prophets  of  Israel! 

Whom  God  has  called  to  lead  the  way, 
Reconsider  thy  past  decisions, 

On  these  great  questions  of  the  day. 

"For  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  the  inhabitants  of  Zion 
shall  judge  all  things  pertaining  to  Zion;  And  liars  and  hypo- 
crites shall  be  proved  by  them,  and  they  who  are  not  apostles 
and  prophets  shall  be  known.  And  even  the  bishop,  who  is 
a  judge,  and  his  counselors,  if  they  are  not  faithful  in  their 
stewardships,  shall  be  condemned  and  others  shall  be  planted 
in  their  stead."  D.  C.  64:38-40. 

The  time  has  come  for  tis  all  to  examine  ourselves  and 
make  sure  that  we  are  living  the  Gospel,  as  well  as  conduct- 
ing the  affairs  of  this  Church  in  an  acceptable  manner,  for 
we  stand  in  that  period  of  time  known  as  the  "Fullness  of 
the  Gentiles." 

Oh  Saints  of  Israel,  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  this 
doctrine?  Are  you  going  to  believe  the  Book  of  Mormon 
and  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  thus  placing  yourselves  in 
a  position  to  receive  the  sealed  parts  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
as  well  as  the  Fullness  of  John's  record,  or  will  you  prefer 
to  accept  only  a  portion  of  them  and  substitute  the  opinions 
of  men  for  the  remainder  and  refuse  to  step  out  on  the  side 
of  truth  and  demand  the  facts  concerning  this  controversy 
that  has  spread  throughout  the  Stakes  of  Zion?  (II  Nephi 
28:21,  £4-25.)  We  trust  that  you  will  righteously  weigh 
these  facts  in  your  minds,  and  see  for  yourselves  where 
security  can  be  found. 

The  mission  of  John,  as  well  as  of  Elijah,  will  be  glorious, 
and  their  presence  will  be  a  source  of  great  comfort,  for 
each  will  hold  and  exercise  mighty  power. 

As  to  John,  he  has  labored  with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 

183 


has  gathered  up  knowledge  for  the  last  1900  years,  and  his 
body  and  mind  have  been  sanctified;  therefore,  Satan  cannot 
tempt  him  (IIINephi  28:  39-40),  and  the  powers  of  the  earth 
cannot  hold  him;  he  has  labored  on  that  Northern  sphere 
with  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes,  and  is  preparing  them  for  their 
return. 

He  no  doubt  will  be  the  Marred  Servant  who  is  to  ac- 
complish the  great  and  marvelous  work  of  the  Latter  Days. 
He  is,  through  his  mother's  lineage,  a  first  cousin  to  the  Lord. 
He  is  the  one  who  was  caught  up  in  the  spirit  while  on  the 
Isle  of  Patmos  and  saw  one  of  the  greatest  visions  ever  given 
unto  man.  The  lesser  things  that  he  saw  are  recorded  in 
the  Book  of  Revelation,  and  the  greater  things  are  to  come 
forth  when  Zion  is  redeemed. 

He  was  also  blessed  with  that  marvelous  manifestation 
while  on  the  mountain,  wherein  He  saw  the  Lord  transfigured 
in  glory,  and  heard  the  Voice  of  the  Father;  unto  him  has 
fallen  the  lot  to  curse  the  waters  in  the  latter  days,  and  we 
are  told  that  the  day  will  come  when  the  wicked  will  not 
be  able  to  cross  over  to  Zion.  (D.  C.  61 :  14-16.) 

He,  with  Peter  and  James,  holds  the  Keys  of  the  Kingdom 
and  of  this  dispensation.  He  is  that  Elias  and  forerunner 
of  the  Lord's  second  coming,  as  well  as  the  Root  of  Jesse, 
who  is  to  gather  out  the  righteous  from  among  the  Twelve 
Tribes  and  Gentiles.  Isaiah  says  that  his  rest  will  be  glori- 
ous. (Isa.  11: 10-12.) 

He  is  one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  who  shall  stand  at  the 
right  hand  of  Christ  at  His  coming  in  glory,  and  will  be 
clothed  with  a  robe  of  righteousness  and  wear  a  crown  of 
glory  upon  his  head  and,  with  the  rest  of  the  Twelve,  will 
judge  the  whole  House  of  Israel.  (D.  C.  29:  10-13;  I  Nephi 
12:9.) 

Last  of  all,  he  has  never  seen  death;  therefore,  he  is  the 
senior  member  in  our  present  Priesthood,  consequently,  he 
is  the  one  "unto  whom  rightly  belongs  the  Priesthood."  (D. 
C.  113:5-6;  D.  C.  7:1-8.) 

184 


Does  it  not  appear  that,  inasmuch  as  our  shepherds  are 
unable  to  commune  with  the  Lord,  they  should  at  least  per- 
mit others  to  speak  and  write  concerning  the  coming  of 
mighty  prophets  who  will  be  in  possession  of  these  powers 
and  blessings? 

It  is  known  from  the  testimony  as  borne  by  our  President 
that  the  Heavens  have  been  closed  to  him,  which  is  enough 
to  cause  us  all  to  examine  our  works,  as  well  as  to  ask  our- 
selves the  reason  why  this  condition  exists.  We  quote  that 
portion  of  his  words  that  pertain  to  this  question,  as  given 
before  the  United  States  Senate,  at  the  time  of  the  investi- 
gation of  Senator  Smooths  right  to  a  seat  in  the  Senate: 

"The  Chairman:  'You  have  revelations,  have  you  not?' 
Mr.  Smith:  'I  have  never  pretended  to,  nor  do  I  profess  to 
have  received  revelations.  I  never  said  I  had  revelations, 
except  so  far  as  God  has  shown  to  me  that  so-called  Mor- 
monism  is  God's  divine  truth.  That  is  all.' 

"The  Chairman:  'You  say  that  was  shown  to  you  by 
God?'  Mr.  Smith:  'By  inspiration.'  "  Page  99,  Proceedings 
in  the  Smoot  Case,  59th  Congress,  Senate  Document  No. 
486.  On  file  in  Salt  Lake  City  Library.) 

It  is  this  unbroken  silence  from  Heaven  that  is  causing 
man/  Elders  and  Saints  to  look  forward  to  the  coming  of 
these  future  prophets,  who  will  bring  us  eternal  words  from 
the  Father. 

In  conclusion,  we  wish  to  say — O  Lord,  hasten  the  day  of 
the  coming  of  John  and  his  co-laborers  to  prepare  the  hearts 
of  the  Saints  that  they  may  be  ready  for  thy  coming;  and 
may  they  have  the  power,  the  convincing  power,  to  prove 
their  mission  to  all  and  be  able  to  unite  thy  people  with  one 
mind;  and  may  they,  and  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-four 
Thousand  not  cease  striving  until  they  have  found  all  the 
honest  in  heart  and  gathered  them  to  Zion  and  Jerusalem, 
and  restore  unto  them  that  Gospel  Spirit  of  Love  for  one 
another  that  we  may  be  able  to  strike  hands  and  live  in 
harmony  and  peace,  and  be  taught  the  principles  of  right- 
eousness, and  finally  be  prepared  to  enter  into  the  great 

185 


millennial  reign,  with  Jesus  the  Christ,  King  of  Kings  and 
Lord  of  Lords. 

FRANCIS  M.  DARTER, 

830  Olive  Avenue, 

Long  Beach,  Calif. 


Published  Nov.  1st,  1917 


INDEX 


CHAPTER  I 

The   Status  of  the   Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  with  Israel 

and  Gentiles  in  Former  and  Latter  Days 7 

The  Outward   Signs,  Among  the  Believing  Latter  Day 

Gentiles,  of  Sinning  Against  the  Gospel 22 

CHAPTER  II 
The  One  Mighty  and  Strong 29 

CHAPTER  III 
The  Drunkards  of  Ephraim 50 

CHAPTER  IV 
The  "Branch"  a  Future  Prophet 76 

CHAPTER  V 

The  Future  Elias — John,  the  Apostle  and  Revelator. 
The  Spirit  of  Elias.  The  Inspired  Translation  of  the 
Bible.  The  Root  of  Jesse.  A  Moses — The  Future 
Redeemer  of  Zion.  The  Marred  Servant 80 

CHAPTER  VI 

Sealing  with  Eternal  Life  and  Sanctification  of  the  Body 
by  John,  the  Revelator,  and  the  Four  Destroying 
Angels.  The  144000 — Their  Mission,  Calling  and 
Sealing  121 

CHAPTER  VII 

Greater  Things.  The  Coming  Forth  of  the  Record  of 
John  and  the  Sealed  Part  of  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
The  Fullness  of  the  Priesthood 137 

CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Future  Kingdom  of  God  and  David,  Its  King.  The 
Fall  of  All  Nations.  The  Return  of  the  Ten  Lost 
Tribes.  The  Remnants  of  Jacob 145 

The  Appeal 178 


